Sunday, March 13
12 p.m.
Lehigh University
3-7
4
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Fairleigh Dickinson
5-6
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6
7
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Fairleigh Dickinson
2
3
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5
9
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Lehigh
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4
7
1
Lehigh suffers pair of one-run losses to Fairleigh Dickinson
3/13/2016 6:24:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball team was held scoreless for the final four innings of a 5-4 loss to Fairleigh Dickinson in the opener of a Sunday home-opening doubleheader at Legacy Park before a ninth-inning Mountain Hawk rally fell just short in 6-5 loss in the nightcap. Lehigh falls to 3-8 overall with the losses, while FDU improves to 6-6.
"We started to turn the corner a bit today but came up just short," said head coach Sean Leary. "We got guys at third base quite a bit and didn't come through in the situation, but that's something we can work on. I thought we had a few really strong pitching performances today and we're getting better and making strides."
Sophomore Patrick Donnelly had a 4-for-8 showing at the plate in the two games combined with an RBI and run scored. Senior Mackey Price and juniors Jacen Nalesnik and David Young recorded three hits apiece, while Young also knocked his first career home run. Freshman reliever Ethan Frohman kept the Knights scoreless for the final 5.1 innings of the day's opener, while game two starter junior Matt Kozemchak put together a strong outing.
Fairleigh Dickinson got on the board right away in the day's opener, a seven-inning contest, as a pair of singles and a triple gave the Knights a 2-0 lead. Lehigh answered in the bottom of the frame as sophomore James Bleming roped a leadoff infield single before taking second on an FDU throwing error. Nalesink drew a walk before a groundball off the bat of senior Mike Garzillo was overthrown and allowed Bleming and Nalesnik to run home. Three batters later, Price recorded an RBI groundout to score Garzillo and give Lehigh a 3-2 lead through the first inning.
The Knights jumped back in front in the second inning as an RBI single, RBI groundout and Lehigh error allowed FDU to take a 5-3 lead. After a scoreless bottom of the second, back-to-back singles from Donnelly and Young were followed by an RBI base hit to center from junior Connor Donovan to help Lehigh pull within one at 5-4 in the bottom of the third.
After the second inning, Frohman kept the Knights off the board for the rest of the way, allowing just four hits and striking out four in the final 5.1 frames. The Mountain Hawks weren't able to get anything off of FDU relief pitchers Joe Flack and Ryan Brennan as the Knights claimed a 5-4 game-one win.
Sophomore starter Mark Washington suffered the loss after surrendering five runs, only three of which were earned, on five hits with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings. FDU starter Logan Frati claimed the win.
Lehigh was able to strike first in the nightcap, a nine-inning contest, as Young roped a one-out double to right center before Donnelly followed with a double down the left field line to give Lehigh a 1-0 lead through one. The Knights immediately tied the game at 1-1 in the second as Dylan Sprague was hit by a pitch, stole second and then scored on an RBI single.
FDU's John Giakas sent a solo home run over the left center fence to open the fourth inning and put the Knights on top 2-1. Kozemchak kept the Knights off the board for the rest of his strong inning as he finished with a line of two runs on five hits and a career-high seven strikeouts in 5.0 innings.
The Knights added a run in the top of the sixth as Evan McDonald took first on a Lehigh error before three wild pitches allowed him to cross the plate. Sophomore Peter Moore took the mound and inherited a 2-1 count, but quickly recorded the final two outs of the frame.
Nalesnik knocked a one-one infield single in the bottom of the sixth before Young sent his first career home run over the left center fence to quickly tie the game at 3-3.
Following a scoreless seventh inning, another solo shot from Giakas gave FDU a 4-3 lead. Lehigh threatened in both the seventh and eighth frames, stranding a pair of runners in both, before FDU added two insurance runs on a solo home run and RBI double in the top of the ninth.
Lehigh put together a bottom of the ninth rally as Price led off with a double to right before freshman Ryan Malloy sent a one-out RBI double to left. Nalesnik then sent a base hit to left to put the score at 6-5, but FDU closer Ryan Brennan fanned the final batter to secure his second save of the day.
Moore suffered the loss after giving up three runs on three hits with five strikeouts in 3.1 innings. FDU reliever Tim Quinn earned the win.
Lehigh will now head to Winter Haven, Florida for Spring Break where the Mountain Hawks will play six games in five days at the RussMatt Invitational beginning with contests against Bradley (11:15 a.m.) and Maine (3 p.m.) Wednesday.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: FRATI, L. (1-0)
L: Washington, Mark (1-1)
S: BRENNAN, R. (3)
Batting:
3B: ROMANO, B. 1
RBI: McCANN, M. 1 ; ROMANO, B. 2 ; GIAKAS, J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SIEBLER, S. 1 ; McCANN, M. 2 ; ROMANO, B. 1 ; DeLEON, J. 1
SB: SIEBLER, S. 1 ; McCANN, M. 1 ; ALLEYNE, C. 1 ; DeLEON, J. 1
CS: McCANN, M. 1
Batting:
RBI: Donovan, Connor 1 ; Price, Mackey 1
SH: Price, Mackey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bleming, James 1 ; Nalesnik, Jacen 1 ; Garzillo, Mike 1 ; Donnelly, Patrick 1
HBP: Garzillo, Mike 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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2B
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