Saturday, April 16
Annapolis, Md.
12 p.m.
Lehigh University
13-22, 0
0
at
3
Navy
27-9-1, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Lehigh
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
NAVY
0
1
0
1
1
0
X
3
7
0
Mountain Hawks pick up 9-2 win in nightcap of Saturday doubleheader at Navy
4/16/2016 5:54:00 PM | Baseball
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Lehigh baseball team used a four-run run third inning to grab an early lead before adding on five runs in the final two frames to capture a 9-2 win in the nightcap of a Saturday doubleheader at preseason favorite Navy. Sophomore Peter Moore allowed just one unearned run in six strong innings of relief to pick up the win and help Lehigh bounce back from a 3-0 loss in the day's opener. Lehigh moves to 14-22 overall and 3-7 in league play with Saturday's results, while Navy sits at 27-10-1 overall and 6-4 in Patriot League action.
Junior Patrick Donnelly recorded five RBI in the day's second game while going 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored. Junior David Young also knocked three hits in the nightcap, while sophomore James Bleming and senior Mike Garzillo both scored two runs apiece. Moore threw six full innings while giving up one unearned run on three hits with a strikeout to earn the victory before giving way to senior Kevin Boswick who kept the Mids off the board for the final 1.2 frames.
The Mids loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first inning of the day's second game, a full nine-inning affair, but Lehigh sophomore starter Mark Washington limited the damage to just a sacrifice fly as Navy took a 1-0 lead through one. Moore took the mound in relief in the bottom of the second with one out and runners on the corners and got two quick groundouts to keep the Navy lead at 1-0.
The Mountain Hawks were able to get the bats going in the top of the third inning as senior Anthony Rinaldi and junior Jacen Nalesnik opened the frame with back-to-back singles before both moving up a base on a sacrifice bunt from Bleming. Following a Garzillo walk, Donnelly smoked a bases-clearing double down the left field line to put Lehigh ahead 3-1. Young then knocked an infield single before Navy starting pitcher George Coughlin fired a failed pickoff attempt that allowed Donnelly to score and Young to move to third. The Mids brought in Jett Meenach from the bullpen to record the final two outs of the inning and keep the Lehigh lead at 4-1.
The Mids got a run back in the bottom of the third thanks to a single and pair of passed balls to cut Lehigh's lead to 4-2 through three innings. Both teams were kept scoreless for the next four frames as Moore and Meenach combined to allow just four hits through four innings as Lehigh took its 4-2 lead to the eighth inning.
Bleming opened the top of the eighth with a single up the middle before Garzillo drew a walk. Donnelly then roped his second double of the day down the left field line to score Bleming and Garzillo was able to run home on a Navy fielding error. Young then followed with an RBI single up the middle to plate Donnelly and move Lehigh's lead to 7-2.
Moore retired the first batter of the bottom of the eighth before Boswick took the mound and got the final two outs of the inning. Lehigh was able to add two more in the top of the ninth when Rinaldi drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a Nalesnik sacrifice bunt. Bleming followed with an RBI single to left before stealing second and moving to third on a muffed throw. Donnelly then recorded his fifth RBI of the game with an infield single to put the Mountain Hawks ahead 9-2.
The Mids knocked a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth, but Boswick got a foul out before Navy grounded into a double play to secure the 9-2 Lehigh victory. Coughlin suffered the loss after giving up four runs on five hits in 2.1 innings of work.
Following a scoreless first inning in the day's opener, a seven-inning contest, the Mids got on the board in the bottom of the second as Connor Deenan drew a one-out walk before stealing second and being singled home by Logan Knowles. The Mountain Hawks threatened in the top of the fourth with two runners on base and one out, but defending Patriot League Pitcher of the Year Luke Gillingham worked out of trouble to keep Lehigh off the board.
Navy added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth as two base hits and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with one out. Robert Currie followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to put the score at 2-0 before the Mids knocked another single, but freshman left fielder Ryan Malloy threw a runner out at the plate to limit the damage. Lehigh sophomore starter Sam Ashey got the first out of the fifth inning before issuing a walk and being relieved by junior Connor Donovan. Donovan got a quick pop out before a hit by pitch and a pair of walks gave the Mids a 3-0 lead through five frames.
Garzillo and Donovan came up with base knocks in the top of the seventh, but Gillingham was able to earn the victory to lead Navy to a 3-0 game-one win. Ashey finished with a line of three earned runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings of work.
Lehigh and Navy wrap up their four-game series Sunday with a 12 p.m. doubleheader. Free video of both games will be available on the Patriot League Network.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gillingham (6-2)
L: Ashey, Sam (3-4)
Batting:
SH: Bleming, James 1
Batting:
RBI: Currie, R. 1 ; Wilcox, M. 1 ; Knowles, L. 1
SF: Currie, R. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Born, S. 1 ; Deneen, C. 2
SB: Born, S. 1 ; Deneen, C. 1
HBP: Deneen, C. 1 ; Knowles, L. 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
dh/p
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF/IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
3B
/ Baseball1B/P
/ Baseball2B
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballP/IF
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