Wednesday, April 26
Bethlehem, PA
1 p.m.
Lehigh University
vs
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Mountain Hawks Host Eastern Shore in Midweek Twin Bill
4/25/2017 11:11:00 AM | Baseball
LIVE VIDEO (Game 1) - LIVE VIDEO (Game 2) - LIVE STATS
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball team begins a six-game home stretch with a doubleheader against University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Wednesday. First pitch is slated for a 1 p.m. start time at J. David Walker Field. Both games will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network powered by Campus Insiders.
The Mountain Hawks (16-24) enter the doubleheader on a five-game win streak following a four-game sweep of Lafayette in Easton. The closest game of the series was the first game, a 3-2 victory for Lehigh. Down 2-1, Matt Hand reached on a fielding error as Mike Maguire scored to tie the game. Senior Jacen Nalesnik then hit a home run in the top of the seventh to give the team the lead and eventual win. Senior Anthony Rinaldi finished the game a perfect 3-for-3, adding an RBI. Connor Donovan picked up the win in six innings of work, striking out four and allowing just one earned run.
In the second game, Lehigh got out to a quick 2-0 in the top of the first inning following runs by James Bleming and Patrick Donnelly. After scoring another two runs in the top of the third, the Mountain Hawks racked up five more runs in the top of the fourth inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Donovan. The team totaled 12 hits in the 9-1 win, including three from Nalesnik.
In Game 3, the first of two games on Sunday, Lehigh had another strong performance, opening the scoring in the top of the third inning after Chris Kersey homered to left center. Leading 2-0, Lehigh scored two more runs in the top of the fifth inning, eventually winning the game 5-1. Nalesnik and senior John Scarr each had two hits in the game and freshman Levi Stoudt pitched all seven innings en route to his second win of the season.
Lehigh saved its biggest offensive performance for last, scoring double digit runs in the final game of the series for a 12-2 win. Leading 4-1 going into the top of the seventh inning, Lehigh produced most of its offense in the final three innings. Up 9-2 going into the final inning, Nalesnik and Donnelly each hit home runs in the ninth to stretch the lead to 10 runs. Donnelly had three hits in the team's 15-hit performance.
This season, Rinaldi leads the team in batting average at .360 in 24 games while Nalesnik is next on the team with a .324 batting average. Nalesnik leads the team in runs (41), hits (51), doubles (12), home runs (11) and RBI (29). The team has used an array of pitchers this year, but Stoudt is their best in terms of ERA at 1.74 in 10 starts. Donovan is right behind with a 1.75 ERA in eight appearances.
The Mountain Hawks holds a 22-5 all-time lead against Eastern Shore (8-30), but lost both meetings last year, 7-6 and 5-4. The Hawks have three-straight wins against Lehigh, but LU's last win was a 6-3 victory in the first game of a doubleheader in 2014.
After Wednesday's contests, Lehigh will take on Army West Point in a four-game home Patriot League series Saturday and Sunday. This will be a key series for Lehigh, who sits in fifth place in the Patriot League standings, right behind Army. It is Lehigh's final league series of the regular season.
Preview written by Austin Vitelli '17
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball team begins a six-game home stretch with a doubleheader against University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Wednesday. First pitch is slated for a 1 p.m. start time at J. David Walker Field. Both games will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network powered by Campus Insiders.
The Mountain Hawks (16-24) enter the doubleheader on a five-game win streak following a four-game sweep of Lafayette in Easton. The closest game of the series was the first game, a 3-2 victory for Lehigh. Down 2-1, Matt Hand reached on a fielding error as Mike Maguire scored to tie the game. Senior Jacen Nalesnik then hit a home run in the top of the seventh to give the team the lead and eventual win. Senior Anthony Rinaldi finished the game a perfect 3-for-3, adding an RBI. Connor Donovan picked up the win in six innings of work, striking out four and allowing just one earned run.
In the second game, Lehigh got out to a quick 2-0 in the top of the first inning following runs by James Bleming and Patrick Donnelly. After scoring another two runs in the top of the third, the Mountain Hawks racked up five more runs in the top of the fourth inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Donovan. The team totaled 12 hits in the 9-1 win, including three from Nalesnik.
In Game 3, the first of two games on Sunday, Lehigh had another strong performance, opening the scoring in the top of the third inning after Chris Kersey homered to left center. Leading 2-0, Lehigh scored two more runs in the top of the fifth inning, eventually winning the game 5-1. Nalesnik and senior John Scarr each had two hits in the game and freshman Levi Stoudt pitched all seven innings en route to his second win of the season.
Lehigh saved its biggest offensive performance for last, scoring double digit runs in the final game of the series for a 12-2 win. Leading 4-1 going into the top of the seventh inning, Lehigh produced most of its offense in the final three innings. Up 9-2 going into the final inning, Nalesnik and Donnelly each hit home runs in the ninth to stretch the lead to 10 runs. Donnelly had three hits in the team's 15-hit performance.
This season, Rinaldi leads the team in batting average at .360 in 24 games while Nalesnik is next on the team with a .324 batting average. Nalesnik leads the team in runs (41), hits (51), doubles (12), home runs (11) and RBI (29). The team has used an array of pitchers this year, but Stoudt is their best in terms of ERA at 1.74 in 10 starts. Donovan is right behind with a 1.75 ERA in eight appearances.
The Mountain Hawks holds a 22-5 all-time lead against Eastern Shore (8-30), but lost both meetings last year, 7-6 and 5-4. The Hawks have three-straight wins against Lehigh, but LU's last win was a 6-3 victory in the first game of a doubleheader in 2014.
After Wednesday's contests, Lehigh will take on Army West Point in a four-game home Patriot League series Saturday and Sunday. This will be a key series for Lehigh, who sits in fifth place in the Patriot League standings, right behind Army. It is Lehigh's final league series of the regular season.
Preview written by Austin Vitelli '17
Players Mentioned
IF
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3B
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1B/P
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IF
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OF
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OF
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OF
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C
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RHP
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