Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh to host Penn to conclude six-game home stand
4/16/2013 6:05:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball team (18-19) will play its penultimate non-league game of the regular season when it hosts Penn (20-14) on Wednesday at the Goodman Campus. Live audio of the contest will be available at Lehighsports.com.
Lehigh will be trying to snap a three game losing skid after being swept in a doubleheader for the first time all season against Bucknell on Sunday. The Mountain Hawks split a pair of one-run games on Saturday, but fell 7-2 and 8-1 in the next two games to bring their Patriot League mark to 5-7.
Sophomore Justin Pacchioli remains the Brown and White's top offensive performer with a .366 batting average and .516 on base percentage in 30 games this season. Sophomore John Elson has been productive in almost all offensive categories, leading Lehigh in RBI (27) and total bases (61) while hitting two home runs and stealing 12 bases. Sophomore Josh Flyer and senior Tom O'Malley have been the most dominant options out of the Mountain Hawks' bullpen. Flyer has a team-low ERA of 0.79, while O'Malley has a 2.41 ERA after earning his second save of the season in game one of Saturday's twinbill against Bucknell. Junior Colin Gotzon picked up his team-best fifth win of the season Saturday and has struck out 48 batters in 45.1 innings.
The Quakers are also coming off a series loss to a league opponent, as they dropped three out of four at home against Princeton. Ryan Deitrich has started all 34 games in the outfield and leads the team in batting average (.419), home runs (4) and stolen bases (10). Michael Vilardo owns the team lead in RBI with 27.
Penn's pitching staff is anchored by ace Dan Gautieri, who owns a 5-1 record and 2.00 ERA heading into the midweek matchup. Gautieri and Connor Cuff have thrown a combined five complete games this season with Cuff striking out a team-best 36 batters. Reliever John Beasley has the team's lowest ERA in 14 relief appearances with a mark of 1.80 and will be looking to rebound from his last outing Sunday when he gave up the game-winning home run in the 10th inning of Penn's 7-6 loss to Princeton.
The Mountain Hawks won their last matchup against Penn in 2011 6-5 after senior Casey Turner went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Penn still owns a 76-33-3 advantage in the all-time series. Last year's game between the two teams was canceled.
After their game against Penn, the Mountain Hawks will head to Holy Cross for a pair of Patriot League doubleheaders that begin at 12 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
MHT EP13 - Baseball
Wednesday, March 25
Baseball vs. Holy Cross 2
Saturday, March 21
Baseball vs. Holy Cross 1
Saturday, March 21
Baseball vs. Navy
Saturday, March 14
