
Mountain Hawks fall in back-and-forth battle at Delaware
3/17/2015 6:36:00 PM | Baseball
NEWARK, Del. – The lead changed hands four times Tuesday afternoon as the Lehigh baseball team and Delaware got into a back-and-forth offensive battle, but it was the Blue Hens who were able to come out on top by a score of 11-10 at Bob Hannah Stadium.
Junior Mike Garzillo led Lehigh offensively with a 3-for-5 showing at the plate that included a home run, a double and four RBI. Freshman James Bleming knocked in three runs on two hits.
A two-out triple to left center off the bat of Norm Donkin scored two Blue Hens in the bottom of the first inning, but Lehigh countered right away with five runs in the top of the second. Sophomore Jacen Nalesnik singled to right center before senior Connor Faust recorded an infield single and sophomore John Scarr drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Bleming followed with his first career hit, a two-run single off the right field wall to score Nalesnik and Faust and tie the game at two. Senior Justin Pacchioli followed with a base on balls before classmate John Elson knocked a base hit to left to bring home Scarr. Delaware starting pitcher Matt Hornich was lifted from the game before a two-run single from Garzillo tacked on two more Lehigh runs and helped the Mountain Hawks take a 5-2 lead after one and a half innings.
After the Blue Hens got a run back in the bottom half of the inning, the Mountain Hawks added a pair of runs in the third. Faust was hit by a pitch to open the inning before Scarr singled and Bleming sent an RBI double down the right field line. An RBI base hit from sophomore Patrick Donnelly scored Bleming a few batters later as Lehigh took a 7-3 lead in the top of the third inning.
Delaware got another run back in the bottom of the third and threatened with two runners on base and no outs, but sophomore Connor Donovan took the mound in relief of freshman starter Peter Moore and recorded three quick outs to help Lehigh hold onto a 7-4 lead through three innings. The Blue Hens then put up five runs in the fourth inning thanks to RBI from four different Delaware players to reclaim a 9-7 lead.
The advantage switched hands once again in the fifth inning as Pacchioli drew a leadoff walk before advancing to second on a Delaware error. Elson followed with an RBI base hit to center before Garzillo smacked his second home run of the season over the right field fence to give the Mountain Hawks back a 10-9 lead.
Delaware's Diaz Nardo recorded an RBI single in the sixth inning to tie the game at ten before Donkin drew an RBI walk in the seventh to score what would prove to be the game-winning run. Reliever Kevin Milley and closer Luke Alicknavitch kept Lehigh off the board the rest of the way to help Delaware to the 11-10 victory.
Senior Nick Stephens suffered the loss on the mound while Milley earned the win and Alicknavitch secured the save.
The Mountain Hawks return to action this weekend with a four-game series at Fairleigh Dickinson. Doubleheaders will be played both Saturday and Sunday with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. Saturday.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Milley (2-0)
L: Stephens, Nick (0-3)
S: Alicknavitch (2)

Batting:
2B: Garzillo, Mike 1 ; Bleming, James 1
HR: Garzillo, Mike 1
RBI: Elson, John 2 ; Garzillo, Mike 4 ; Donnelly, Patrick 1 ; Bleming, James 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Pacchioli, Justin 2 ; Elson, John 1 ; Garzillo, Mike 1 ; Nalesnik, Jacen 1 ; Faust, Connor 2 ; Scarr, John 1 ; Bleming, James 2
SB: Faust, Connor 1
CS: Garzillo, Mike 1
HBP: Donnelly, Patrick 1 ; Faust, Connor 3

Batting:
2B: Giacchino 1 ; Donkin 2
3B: Donkin 1
RBI: Giacchino 1 ; Jones 1 ; Powell 1 ; Donkin 4 ; Nardo 3 ; Scott 1
SF: Giacchino 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Giacchino 2 ; Lopes 1 ; Jones 1 ; Powell 1 ; Donkin 2 ; Nardo 1 ; Scott 1 ; BNiggebrugge 2
SB: Donkin 1 ; Nardo 1
HBP: Scott 1