Sunday, April 19
12 p.m.
Lehigh University
14-23, 0
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Navy
29-14, 0
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4
5
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7
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E
Navy
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Lehigh
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Lehigh rallies to sweep Sunday doubleheader from Navy
4/19/2015 5:08:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. –Strong pitching performances and timely hits helped the Lehigh baseball team earn a pair of comeback wins over Navy and sweep a Sunday doubleheader at Legacy Park. A game-winning two-run home run from sophomore Patrick Donnelly backed a complete-game effort from senior starting pitcher Nick Stephens to help Lehigh to a 3-2 win in Sunday's opener before junior reliever Kevin Boswick fired 7.2 scoreless innings in the nightcap to help Lehigh to a 5-4 victory.
"The best days are when pitching helps build momentum and Nick Stephens was outstanding in game one today," said head coach Sean Leary. "We scrapped and stayed in it and then Pat hit an enormous home run. It can't get any better than what Kevin Boswick did in game two and he had really key shutdown innings to give us a shot."
The Mountain Hawks move to 9-7 in league play with the results, while Navy falls to 10-5. The two wins snapped Lehigh's 12-game losing streak against the Mids. Lehigh and Navy split the four-game series. With Sunday's results around the league, the Mountain Hawks need just one more league win to clinch a spot in the Patriot League Tournament.
Donnelly finished his day with a 4-for-7 showing at the plate that included the game-winning home run in the sixth inning of game one. Sophomore Jacen Nalesnik went 4-for-5 in the finale and recorded the game-winning RBI. Junior Mike Garzillo hit a game-tying, two-run home run in game two.
Stephens retired the first five batters he faced before the Mids got on the board in the top of the second inning of game one, a seven-inning contest, when Adrian Chinnery sent a two-out single to center before Ben McGrath doubled him home. Lehigh answered right back in the bottom of the frame when Donnelly smoked a leadoff double to right center before moving to third on a groundout. Senior Patrick Walshe followed with a deep sacrifice fly to right field to easily score Donnelly and tie the game at one.
The Mids loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fourth. Stephens got a strikeout before a foul out to left allowed the runner on third to come home, but another foul out followed as Stephens was able to limit the damage and Navy took a 2-1 lead.
Stephens sat down the next six Navy batters before senior Justin Pacchioli drew a base on balls to open the sixth inning before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt from Nalesnik. A batter later, Donnelly sent his third home run of the season over the left field fence to put Lehigh ahead 3-2.
Stephens remained on the mound for the top of the seventh and recorded a 1-2-3 inning to secure his complete-game win and his third-straight victory. He finished with a line of two runs on four hits with six strikeouts in seven complete innings.
Navy was able to put up a four spot in the second inning of game two, a full nine-inning contest, with the help of three walks and three hits. The Mountain Hawks cut the Mids' lead in half in the bottom of the second as senior John Elson sent a single up the middle to open the frame before Walshe drew a base on balls. Senior Connor Faust then smoked a double to left center field to plate Lehigh's first run and senior Tim McKay followed with a sacrifice fly to narrow Navy's lead to 4-2.
Boswick made quick work of the Mids in the third inning. Nalesnik opened the bottom of the inning with an infield single and then Garzillo followed with his sixth home run of the season over the center field fence to tie the game at four and oust Navy starter Kyle Condry.
An infield single from Faust opened the bottom of the fourth before he moved to second on a McKay sacrifice bunt. Pacchioli drew a two-out walk that was followed by a single through the right side off the bat of Nalesnik to give Lehigh a 5-4 lead.
Boswick took care of the rest, allowing just one hit in the final five innings. He capped off his dominant outing by striking out the side in the top of the ninth to secure the 5-4 win for Lehigh. He finished with a line of no runs on three hits with nine strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work to earn the win.
The Mountain Hawks resume action Tuesday at Rider before heading to Lafayette next weekend for the final regular-season Patriot League series.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Stephens, Nick (3-4)
L: Moore, Stephen (4-2)
Batting:
2B: McGrath, Ben 1
RBI: McGrath, Ben 2
SH: Kamhoot, Sean 1
SF: McGrath, Ben 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Trent, Sean 1 ; Chinnery, Adrian 1
Batting:
2B: Donnelly, Patrick 1
HR: Donnelly, Patrick 1
RBI: Donnelly, Patrick 2 ; Walshe, Patrick 1
SH: Nalesnik, Jacen 1
SF: Walshe, Patrick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pacchioli, Justin 1 ; Donnelly, Patrick 2
SB: Garzillo, Mike 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
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