Tuesday, April 2
Philadelphia, Pa.
3:00:00 PM
Lehigh University
10
at
7
Saint Joseph's
Lehigh escapes with 10-7 victory at Saint Joseph’s
4/3/2013 12:13:00 AM | Baseball
MERION STATION, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball team defeated Saint Joseph's 10-7 in a Liberty Bell Classic matchup Tuesday on Smithson Field. The Mountain Hawks move to 14-12 on the season while Saint Joseph's drops to 12-15.
“Today was a great team win with a lot of reserves doing positive things and playing tough baseball,” Lehigh head coach Sean Leary said.
Lehigh was able to take advantage of eight hit batters and five walks by Saint Joseph's pitchers. Down 1-0 in the third inning, the Mountain Hawks scored three runs on a double by junior Joe Abeln and a muffed throw by Saint Joseph's first baseman John Brue. The Hawks tied the score soon after on a passed ball and two-out RBI double from Chris Hueth, both of which came off sophomore starter Josh Flyer.
The Brown and White began to pull away after they batted around in the fifth inning. Senior Casey Turner walked and junior Tyler Brong, Abeln, and sophomore Connor Faust hit consecutive singles. After Matt Haskins came on in relief of Jack Stover, sophomores Pat Walshe and Lance Kirschenbaum drove in two more runs with a double down the left field line and groundout to shortstop, respectively. Walshe added a two-run single in the sixth put the Mountain Hawks up 10-3. The Hawks scored one run in sixth before sophomore Jordan Smith came in to pitch the seventh inning for Lehigh. Smith worked around a wild pitch and a walk to Hueth by getting Greg Kumpel to foul out and escape the inning allowing just one run. Saint Joseph's wasn't done scoring yet, as Brian O'Keefe hit a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning cut Lehigh's lead to 10-7. Junior Nick Cassell came in from the bullpen to strike out Kumpel looking for the final out as the right hander picked up his first save of the season.
Abeln went a flawless 3-for-3 at the plate, scoring three runs. Brong also scored three runs and hit 4-for-5. In the designated hitter position for the sixth time this season, Walshe finished 2-for-6 and drove in a game-high three runs. Hueth was Saint Joseph's offensive leader after finishing a home run shy of the cycle with two runs scored and a one RBI. O'Keefe's home run was his third in his last four games.
Sophomore Nick Stephens earned the win, throwing 1.1 innings and striking out two. Stover took the loss after allowing five runs, walking two and striking out four in four innings on the mound.
The Mountain Hawks will play 11 of their next 12 games on the Goodman Campus, hosting Drew at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday before facing Army in a pair of Patriot League doubleheaders at 12 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
“We've been looking forward to not having to travel and getting to this stretch of our schedule,” Leary said. “Now it's time for us to take advantage of the home games we have coming up.”
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Wednesday, March 19
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