Sunday, March 16
Teaneck, N.J.
11:00 AM
Lehigh University
5-8
1
at
9
Fairleigh Dickinson
6-7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Lehigh
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
4
3
Fairleigh Dickinson
0
1
0
3
2
0
2
1
X
9
12
2
Lehigh comes back for 7-5 win over NJIT after falling to FDU
3/16/2014 6:00:00 PM | Baseball
TEANECK, N.J. – Trailing 5-0 in the fifth inning against NJIT, the Lehigh baseball team was able to use a five-run fifth inning and two-run double from junior John Elson in the eighth frame to claim a 7-5 win over the Highlanders (4-5) Sunday afternoon at Fairleigh Dickinson. The Mountain Hawks (6-8) fell to the Knights (6-7) 9-1 in the day's first game.
"The key to today's win was that our three relievers (Kulp, Goldberg and Cassell) did a great job of keeping NJIT scoreless," said head coach Sean Leary. "It was a tough weekend and their performance really picked us up. The bats were finally able to come around and produce some good clutch hits."
NJIT scored five runs through the first four innings in the day's second contest to quickly take a 5-0 lead before sophomore Brandon Kulp came in to relieve Lehigh starter Colin Gotzon and quiet the Highlander bats.
Highlander Matt Coughlin allowed just two hits through the first four innings before a leadoff single from junior Tim McKay opened the bottom of the fifth inning. Sophomore Mackey Price reached on a fielders' choice and Elson drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Sophomore Mike Garzillo followed with an RBI single up the middle before a two-run base hit from senior Joe Abeln added two more for the Mountain Hawks. Senior Tyler Brong kept the scoring going with a single to left field that was followed by a RBI bunt from McKay as the Mountain Hawks batted around and tied the game at five at the end of five innings.
Kulp, freshman Steven Goldberg and senior Nick Cassell combined to render the Highlanders hitless through the top half of the eighth inning, keeping the score knotted at five.
Freshman Jacen Nalesnik roped a leadoff single through the middle to begin the bottom half of the eighth before McKay put down a sacrifice bunt to advance pinch runner Brandon Wilt to second. Following an intentional walk to freshman Connor Donovan, Elson smoked a double to left center to score Wilt and Donovan as Lehigh jumped out front, 7-5.
NJIT's Mike Rampone led off the top of the ninth inning with a double down the left field line, but Abeln caught a line drive as Rampone was called for leaving early. An NJIT ground out followed as Cassell and the Mountain Hawks closed out the 7-5 win.
Cassell earned the win after allowing no runs and just one hit through the final 1.2 innings of the game. Gotzon finished with a line of seven hits, five runs and two strikeouts in three frames. NJIT's Ian Bentley suffered the loss after allowing Elson's game-winning double in the eighth inning.
In the day's first game against Fairleigh Dickinson, the Knights struck first in the second inning on an unearned run scored by Patrick McClure. The Knights' added three in the fourth and two in the fifth while starting pitcher John Chalupa held the Mountain Hawks to just one hit through his 7.1 innings of work.
Joe Flack took the mound to relieve Chalupa after the starter allowed two walks to begin the eighth inning. A single to left center field from Brong drove home Elson to put the lone Mountain Hawk run on the board. The Knights added three more through the final two frames to claim their third-straight victory. McClure led the Knights with three RBI in the game.
Lehigh starter junior Nick Stephens suffered the loss after surrendering five earned runs on eight hits in four innings of work. Elson, Garzillo, Brong and freshman John Scarr recorded hits for Lehigh in the day's opening game.
The Mountain Hawks return to action Tuesday against Temple at 3 p.m. Lehigh hopes to finally make its home debut next weekend when Mount St. Mary's comes to town for a three-game set.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: CHALUPA, John (1-1)
L: Stephens, Nick (2-2)
Batting:
RBI: Brong, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Elson, John 1
SB: Elson, John 1 ; Garzillo, Mike 1 ; Wilt, Brandon 1
HBP: Donovan, Connor 1
Batting:
2B: SPRAGUE, Dylan 1 ; McCLURE, Pat 1 ; ROMAN, Joel 1
RBI: SPRAGUE, Dylan 1 ; BRENNAN, Ryan 1 ; McCLURE, Pat 3 ; ROMAN, Joel 1 ; McGRATH, Ryan 1 ; DeLEON, Jose 1
SH: BRENNAN, Ryan 1
SF: BRENNAN, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SPRAGUE, Dylan 1 ; MOONAN, Riley 1 ; GIAKAS, John 3 ; BRENNAN, Ryan 1 ; McCLURE, Pat 2 ; McGRATH, Ryan 1
SB: SIEBLER, Shane 1 ; GIAKAS, John 1 ; BRENNAN, Ryan 1
CS: SIEBLER, Shane 1
HBP: McCLURE, Pat 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
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