Monday, March 31
West Point, N.Y.
12:00 PM
Lehigh University
10-10, 1-1
5
at
4
Army
15-8, 1-1
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5
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9
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LEHIGh
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2
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Army Black Knights
2
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9
3
Lehigh sweeps Monday doubleheader at two-time defending champ Army
3/31/2014 5:54:00 PM | Baseball
WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Lehigh baseball team picked up a pair of big victories Monday afternoon at two-time defending Patriot League Champion Army. Tied at four heading into the ninth inning, the Mountain Hawks scored on a wild pitch to earn a 5-4 win in the day's first game. Senior starting pitcher Colin Gotzon led Lehigh to a 3-0 shutout win in the second game as the Mountain Hawks improved to 2-1 in league play and 11-10 overall. The Black Knights fell to 1-2 in the Patriot League and 15-9 overall.
"Our guys played tough all weekend long and were able to get the results today as a reward for all of their hard work," said head coach Sean Leary. "Our pitching was fantastic throughout the whole series and our pitchers really led the efforts this weekend. This weekend was a great start to league play that we can definitely build off of."
Sophomore Mike Garzillo batted in a pair of runs during the two games for the Mountain Hawks. Senior Joe Abeln, and juniors John Elson and Connor Faust each went 3-for-7 at the plate in the two games combined, while Elson also smacked his first home run of the season. Gotzon and game one starter junior Nick Stephens combined to allow just two earned Army runs through their stints on the mound. Gotzon and senior Nick Cassell claimed the wins. Sophomore Kevin Long earned the save in second game of the day.
The Black Knights quickly got on the board in the bottom of the first in the opening game, a nine-inning contest, with RBI from Jacob Page and Kris Lindner. The Mountain Hawks answered back in the top of the second with a leadoff double from Elson. Faust reached base on an error as Elson advanced to third. An error on Army's starting pitcher Alex Robinett scored Elson and moved Faust to third before freshman Jacen Nalesnik drew a walk. Nalesnik distracted the Army defense by getting into a rundown between first and second as Faust snuck home and knotted the game at two.
The Black Knights threatened to retake the lead in the bottom half of the fourth inning with the bases loaded and one out. Stephens struck out Army's Ben Smith before forcing a flyout from Jon Crucitti to end the inning and leave the score tied at two.
Junior Justin Pacchioli was hit by a pitch following a single from freshman Patrick Donnelly to begin the top of the fifth inning. Garzillo roped a two-run double to score Pacchioli and Donnelly as the Mountain Hawks took a 4-2 lead.
Stephens retired the next eight batters he faced before Mark McCants doubled to get on base in the top of the eighth inning. Cassell was brought in to relieve Stephens as the junior finished with a line of three runs, two of which were earned, on six hits in 7.1 innings of work. Page was hit by a pitch before Linder doubled in McCants and Army cut Lehigh's lead to one. Two batters later, a single from Harold Earls drove home Linder as the Black Knights evened the score at four and the eighth inning came to a close.
Junior Tim McKay was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the ninth before a single from Pacchioli advanced McKay to third. With Garzillo up to bat, McKay sprinted home on a wild pitch from Army's Johnny Griffith to score the go-ahead run and give the Mountain Hawks a 5-4 lead. A leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth put a Black Knight on base, but Cassell sat down the next three batters to secure the win.
Cassell (2-2) was credited with the win after allowing one run on three hits through 1.2 innings of relief work. Army's relief pitcher Brian Hapeman (0-2) suffered the loss.
In the second game, a seven-inning affair, Lehigh got on the board first in the top of the third inning. Pacchioli drew a two-out walk and then stole second before Garzillo was hit by a pitch. Abeln stepped up to rip a single up the middle and score Pacchioli as the Mountain Hawks took a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom half of the frame.
Gotzon allowed just one hit through the first three innings. Elson led off the fourth with a solo home run over the left field fence. Faust followed with a double to right-center before an error on Earls allowed Faust to come home as the Mountain Hawks took a 3-0 lead.
A leadoff single from Lindner, just the second hit of the day for the Black Knights, began the bottom half of the seventh. Following another strikeout from Gotzon, Army's Daniel Cortes reached on a fielder's choice while Lindner advanced to second. Gotzon issued a walk to load the bases before Long was brought on to close out the game. Long forced Army to ground into a double play as the Mountain Hawks completed the doubleheader sweep.
Gotzon (2-0) claimed the win after throwing a 6.1 shutout innings while striking out six and allowing just two hits. Long earned his second save of the season after getting Lehigh out of the bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh. Army's starter Gunnar Carroll (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season.
The Mountain Hawks return to action Tuesday at 3 p.m. at La Salle in the first round of the Liberty Bell Classic. A free audio broadcast will be available through Lehighsports.com.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cassell, Nick (2-2)
L: Hapeman, B (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Garzillo, Mike 1 ; Elson, John 1
RBI: Garzillo, Mike 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Pacchioli, Justin 1 ; Elson, John 1 ; Faust, Connor 1 ; McKay, Tim 1 ; Donnelly, Patrick 1
CS: Nalesnik, Jacen 1
HBP: Pacchioli, Justin 2 ; McKay, Tim 1
Batting:
2B: McCants, M 1 ; Lindner, K 1
RBI: Page, J 1 ; Lindner, K 2 ; Earls, H 1
SH: Crucitti, J 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Crucitti, J 1 ; Cortes, D 1 ; McCants, M 1 ; Lindner, K 1
SB: Lindner, K 1
CS: McCants, M 1
HBP: Page, J 1 ; Jensen, A 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
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