Bats come up big in 17-5 win at Coppin State

ANNE ARUNDEL, Md. - The Lehigh baseball team exploded for a season-high 21 hits, including eight extra-base hits, en route to a 17-5 victory at Coppin State Wednesday afternoon at Joe Cannon Stadium. All nine Mountain Hawk starters registered a hit, including six players who had multiple-hit efforts, as sophomore Jacen Nalesnik led the way with a career-high six RBI.

"It was great to see the offense break out today," said head coach Sean Leary. "Nalesnik came up with several key hits and Dave Young was outstanding on the mound today. I was really happy with the effort."

Nalesnik went 4-for-5 at the plate with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and two stolen bases in addition to his six RBI. Senior Justin Pacchioli also went 4-for-5 with a two doubles, four runs scored, two stolen bases and an RBI. Junior Mike Garzillo, sophomore Patrick Donnelly, senior John Elson and sophomore David Young all drove home two runs apiece. Young allowed just one run through 4.2 strong innings of relief work.

A sacrifice fly from Garzillo and a Nalesnik RBI single helped the Mountain Hawks plate two first-inning runs, but the Eagles answered with a two-run home run from George Dragon in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at two. Young took the mound in relief of freshman starter Mark Washington with the bases loaded and one out in the second inning, but escaped the jam with a strikeout and a groundout to keep the game knotted at two heading into the third inning.

A two-out, two-run double from Nalesnik in the top of the third inning plated Garzillo and Donnelly as the Mountain Hawks took a 4-2 lead. Young escaped another bases-loaded jam while allowing just one Eagle to cross the plate in the bottom of the third to preserve a 4-3 Lehigh lead through three.

The Mountain Hawks answered with a seven-run fourth inning that saw RBI from five different players. A one-run double to left off the bat of Pacchioli scored senior Patrick Walshe before Young helped his cause with a two-run single to score Pacchioli and senior Tim McKay. Nalesnik followed with a two-run base hit to center before an RBI double from senior John Elson and RBI base hit from Walshe scored two more Lehigh runs to put the Mountain Hawks ahead 11-3.

Lehigh put up two more crooked numbers in the next two innings when the Mountain Hawks plated two in the fifth frame and four in the sixth. Garzillo, Nalesnik, Donnelly and Elson all knocked in runs during the two frames. Young remained steady on the mound, keeping the Eagles off the board for the rest of his outing. He finished with a line of one run on three hits with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work to earn his first win of the season.

Coppin State was able to plate a run in the seventh before adding another in the ninth, but it wasn't enough as Lehigh freshmen pitchers Mike Palestri, Frank Rosetti and Michael Schwab closed out the contest on the mound to help Lehigh to the 17-5 victory.

Lehigh opens Patriot League play this weekend with a four-game series against Army. The league-opening weekend will take place at Bucknell's Depew Field and doubleheaders will be played both Saturday and Sunday with first pitch set for 12 p.m.

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Team Stats

Justin Pacchioli

Jacen Nalesnik

David Young

Patrick Donnelly

Players Mentioned

Patrick Donnelly

John Elson

Mike Garzillo

Tim McKay

Justin Pacchioli

Mike Palestri

Frank Rosetti

Buck Schwab

Patrick Walshe

Mark Washington

David Young

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