Iowa Takes Two from Lehigh in Sunday Twin Bill

Sunday, March 12

Punta Gorda, FL - South County Regional Park

1:30 p.m.

Lehigh University

2-7

University of Iowa

8-5

Lehigh

IOWA

Iowa Takes Two from Lehigh in Sunday Twin Bill

3/12/2017 9:30:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – Lehigh capped its second day at the Snowbird Baseball Classic a pair of losses to last season's Big Ten runner-up, Iowa, on Sunday at South County Regional Park. The Hawkeyes posted a 15-7 victory in game one, followed by an 8-3 win in game two to lock down the doubleheader sweep.

The Mountain Hawks (2-8) fell into an early hole in game one as the Hawkeyes (9-6) posted eight runs in the second inning on just one hit. Iowa started the inning with five-straight walks and recorded the only hit of the inning on a three-run home run by clean-up hitter Jake Adams.

Lehigh put its first runs on the board in the fifth, beginning with a RBI single up the middle by Jeff Shanfeldt. With two runners still on base, Stephen Fitzgerald cleared the diamond with a three-run shot to center for his first home run of the season.

Lehigh tacked on another run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Patrick Donnelly to score Jacen Nalesnik, who led off the inning with a double. The Mountain Hawks capped off their scoring for the game with two runs in the eighth on back-to-back RBI doubles by Connor Donovan and Anthony Rinaldi.

Mark Washington (1-2) took the loss in game one as he went 1.0 innings and gave up five runs, all earned, on two hits with five walks. Buck Schwab came on later in relief to throw 2.1 innings and surrendered one unearned run on no hits with one walk and recorded two strikeouts.

Iowa's Drake Robison (1-1) earned the victory as he went 6.0 innings and allowed five runs, all earned, on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.

Iowa put the first runs on the board again in game two with a tally in the top of the first. Lehigh got that run back in the fourth on a double by Donovan to tie the game, 1-1, at the end of four.

The Hawkeyes regained the lead with two runs in the fifth with a double and a sacrifice fly. Iowa further extended the lead in the top of the seventh with two more runs on a total of three hits to take a 6-1 lead. Lehigh answered back in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runs on a total of three hits, led by a two-run single by Chris Kersey.

Iowa went to post runs in the eighth and ninth innings to allowed just one Lehigh batter to reach base in the final two innings to seal the 8-3 victory.

Rinaldi led Lehigh on the day as he went a combined 5-for-9 (.556). The left fielder scored two runs and batted in one, while fielding 1.000 with three putouts. Rinaldi now has had a hit in six of the last seven games and has posted multiple hits in five of those seven games. He is batting .410 (16-for 39) on the season while fielding 1.000 with 14 putouts.

Lehigh will have a day off on Monday and resume play at the Snowbird Baseball Classic on Tuesday against defending Big Ten Champion Ohio State. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m. at North Charlotte Regional Field 6 in Port Charlotte, Fla.

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