Sunday, February 21
Norfolk, Va.
12 p.m.
Lehigh University
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Norfolk State
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9
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Lehigh
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Norfolk State
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Mountain Hawks sweep season-opening twinbill at Norfolk State
2/21/2016 7:12:00 PM | Baseball
NORFOLK, Va. - A balanced offensive effort and strong pitching led the Lehigh baseball team to 10-3 and 7-2 wins over defending MEAC North champ Norfolk State in a season-opening doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Marty L. Miller Field. Eight different Mountain Hawks knocked in runs, while sophomore relief pitchers Mark Washington and Peter Moore earned wins on the mound.
"We were very productive offensively all day and I couldn't be happier with that," said head coach Sean Leary. "We had four or five guys who really put together great offensive days which was great to see. Our pitchers competed and battled today and I thought our two middle relievers did a great job."
Junior Jacen Nalesnik went 5-for-8 at the plate and scored a team-best five runs in the two games combined. Classmate Patrick Donnelly put together a 5-for-9 effort with three RBI and three runs scored, while junior David Young also went 5-for-9 with three doubles. Senior Mike Garzillo had a 3-for-7 showing at the dish with a team-best four RBI, four runs scored and a home run. Eight of Lehigh's 24 hits for the day were extra-base hits. The Mountain Hawks were also strong defensively, finishing the day errorless.
Game one starter senior Kevin Long limited the Spartans to just one hit through the first three innings of the nine-inning opener. Garzillo scored the first run of the season in the top of the fourth inning as he drew a walk before running home on a pair of Norfolk State throwing errors to give the Mountain Hawks a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Long followed with a shutdown 1-2-3 inning before Lehigh tacked on two more in the fifth. Nalesnik was hit by a pitch with one out and Garzillo followed with a two-run home run to dead center to extend Lehigh's lead to 3-0.
Norfolk State got on the board in the fifth inning as a pair of infield singles were followed by two RBI base hits to pull within 3-2. Long finished his outing with a line of two runs on five hits with four strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched before freshman Ethan Frohman took the mound in the sixth. The Spartans used an RBI double down the right field line from Ismael Herrera to tie the game at 3-3, but Frohman worked out of trouble and got a big strikeout to end the NSU threat.
Washington took the mound in the seventh and kept the Spartans off the board to keep the game tied. Donnelly led off the eighth inning with a single before taking second on a balk and advancing to third on a groundout. Junior Connor Donovan followed with a sacrifice fly to right to score Donnelly and put the Mountain Hawks up 4-3. Senior Anthony Rinaldi then reached base on an NSU error before stealing second and being singled home by freshman Jeff Shanfeldt as Lehigh took a 5-3 lead.
After another scoreless inning of relief from Washington, Lehigh was able to tack on five more runs in the top of the ninth as RBI doubles from Donnelly, Rinaldi and senior Mackey Price and an RBI single up the middle from Young put the score at 10-3. Washington recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the ninth before sophomore Frank Rosetti fanned the final batter to secure the 10-3 Lehigh win.
Washington earned the win and finished with a final line of no runs on four hits and two strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work. Norfolk State reliever Michael Parmentier suffered the loss.
Lehigh picked up right where it left off in the nightcap, a seven-inning affair, as Nalesnik sent a one-out single through the left side in the first inning before scoring on an RBI base hit from Donnelly that gave the Mountain Hawks a 1-0 lead. The Spartans tied the game in the bottom half of the frame, but game two starter Kevin Boswick got out of a bases-loaded jam with two big strikeouts to limit the damage. NSU jumped ahead 2-1 in the second inning thanks to a sacrifice fly, but Boswick once again stranded two Spartans with a groundout.
The Mountain Hawks were able to put up a crooked number in the third inning as Nalesnik roped a one-out single and Garzillo followed with a double to left center. Donnelly followed with an RBI base hit before Young smoked a double down the right field line. Donnelly scored on a passed ball and Donovan followed with an RBI single to left to give the Mountain Hawks a 5-2 lead. After a 1-2-3 inning from Boswick, Nalesnik opened the fourth with a single through the right side before stealing second. Garzillo followed with an RBI base hit to tack on another Mountain Hawk run.
Moore took the mound in relief of Boswick with two outs in the fourth as the starter finished his outing with a line of two runs on two hits with four strikeouts in 3.2 innings. The Mountain Hawks added another run in the fifth as a Nalesnik RBI fielder's choice scored sophomore Ryan Bonshak to put Lehigh ahead 7-2.
Moore took care of the rest as he kept the Spartans hitless and allowed just two base runners the rest of the way to lock up the 7-2 Lehigh win. Moore earned the win after firing the final 3.1 innings of the game and striking out three while not allowing a hit or run. Norfolk State starter Chase Anderson suffered the loss.
Lehigh looks to complete the series sweep of Norfolk State Monday at 11 a.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Moore, Peter (1-0)
L: ANDERSON,C. (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Garzillo, Mike 1 ; Young, David 2
RBI: Nalesnik, Jacen 1 ; Garzillo, Mike 2 ; Donnelly, Patrick 2 ; Donovan, Connor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nalesnik, Jacen 3 ; Garzillo, Mike 1 ; Donnelly, Patrick 1 ; Young, David 1 ; Bonshak, Ryan 1
SB: Nalesnik, Jacen 1 ; Garzillo, Mike 1
CS: Garzillo, Mike 1
HBP: Malloy, Ryan 1
PO: Garzillo, Mike 1
Batting:
RBI: ROSARIO,A. 1 ; VAAS,K. 1
SF: ROSARIO,A. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HALL,R. 1 ; LEE,J. 1
SB: MAHDI,S. 1
HBP: MAHDI,S. 1 ; VAAS,K. 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
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LHP
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/ BaseballP/IF
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