Sunday split secures series win at first-place Holy Cross

Sunday, April 12

Worcester, Mass.

1 p.m.

Lehigh University

Holy Cross

Sunday split secures series win at first-place Holy Cross

4/12/2015 7:34:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Lehigh baseball team earned its second-straight 3-1 series win after holding off Holy Cross for a 10-9 victory in the opening game of a Sunday doubleheader at Fitton Field. The Crusaders were able to walk off with a 2-1 win in the bottom of the ninth inning of the series finale to salvage the final contest and avoid a series sweep after the Mountain Hawks won both of Saturday's games. Lehigh moves to 7-5 in league play with the results, while Holy Cross hangs onto a share of first place in the league standings with an 8-4 Patriot League record.

"We competed exceptionally well this weekend and had a number of guys step up today," said head coach Sean Leary. "It was great to see our guys find a way to win a road series against the first-place team this weekend."

Lehigh scored eight runs in the third inning of the day's first game before holding off a late Holy Cross charge to earn the 10-9 victory as senior starter Nick Stephens picked up the win and sophomore Connor Donovan secured his first-career save. Donovan then fired seven strong one-run innings in the day's second game. Junior Mike Garzillo and sophomore Jacen Nalesnik both had 3-for-7 showings at the plate and knocked in a pair of runs in the two games combined. Senior Justin Pacchioli scored a team-best three runs and added three stolen bases in the Sunday doubleheader.

"All eight of our runs in the big third inning came with two outs, so that was great to see," said Leary. "Connor Donovan was certainly one of our stars today after getting the save in game one and throwing seven really strong innings in game two."

The Mountain Hawks got on the board right away in the day's first game, a seven-inning contest, as Pacchioli sent a leadoff single to right before stealing second and being moved to third by a Nalesnik sacrifice bunt. Garzillo drew a base on balls before sophomore Patrick Donnelly sent a two-run double to left field to give the Mountain Hawks a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first.

The Crusaders scored one run in the first and three in the second to jump on top 4-2, but the lead didn't last long as Lehigh countered with an eight-run third inning. Nalesnik, Garzillo and Donnelly knocked three consecutive base hits before a wild pitch allowed Garzillo to sprint home. Senior Patrick Walshe drew a walk before classmate Connor Faust ripped a two-run double to left center. Senior Tim McKay knocked an infield single to re-load the bases, which was followed by an RBI single from freshman James Bleming. Pacchioli followed with a two-run base hit to right center before Nalesnik ripped a two-run double to the same location to put Lehigh ahead 10-4 in the third.

Stephens kept Holy Cross of the board for the next two innings before the Crusaders got one run back in the fifth. Junior Kevin Long took over for Stephens in the sixth as the starter finished with a line of five runs, only three of which were earned, on seven hits in five innings of work to earn his second-straight win on the mound.

Holy Cross used a pair of RBI singles and a sacrifice fly to cut Lehigh's lead to 10-8 in the sixth. Another sac fly in the bottom of the seventh narrowed Lehigh's lead to one, but Donovan came on to record the last out for the Mountain Hawks, secure the 10-9 victory and earn the save.

Pacchioli was hit by a pitch to lead off the series finale, a full nine-inning contest, before he stole both second and third. Garzillo followed with a base hit to left to score Pacchioli and put the Mountain Hawks up 1-0 in the first.

Donovan got the starting nod in the finale after earning the save in the day's opener and kept the Crusaders off the board until the third inning. Holy Cross loaded the bases with no outs and used an RBI single up the middle from Nick Louvello to score one run, but Donovan got Evan Ocello to send a groundball to third as Donnelly stepped on the base then threw a Crusader out at home before a flyout ended the inning and kept the score knotted at one.

An impressive performance from Donovan was backed by several strong defensive plays to keep the score deadlocked at one. Donovan struck out the side in the seventh inning before giving way to freshman Mark Washington who fired a scoreless eighth.

Lehigh wasn't able to get anything else off of Holy Cross starter Brendan King, who stayed in the game for all but the final out. The Crusaders got a leadoff single off Washington before a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second and senior Jordan Smith took over on the mound. Holy Cross' Dan Vucovich was able to send a base hit to left to score the game-winning run and allow the Crusaders to salvage the final game of the series with a 2-1 win.

Donovan finished with a line of one run on eight hits with six strikeouts in seven innings of work. Washington suffered the loss, while Sean Gustin earned the win for the Crusaders.

Lehigh begins a six-game homestand Tuesday at 3 p.m. vs. Delaware at Legacy Park. The Mountain Hawks will host Coppin State Wednesday before welcoming Navy for Lehigh's final regular-season Patriot League home series of the season. Free video of all six games will be available on the Patriot League Network.

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