Lehigh Splits with Army on Senior Day Saturday

Saturday, April 29

Bethlehem, PA

12 p.m.

Lehigh University

19-24, 7-10

Army

21-25, 8-9

Army West Point

Lehigh

Lehigh Splits with Army on Senior Day Saturday

4/29/2017 8:48:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Following an emotional 5-4 victory over Army West Point in game one on Saturday coming off a pregame Senior Day ceremony, the Mountain Hawks suffered heartbreak in game two as the Black Knights tallied two runs in the top of the ninth inning to come from behind and for a 4-3 victory. The two teams will return to action on Sunday in a doubleheader to decide who will be going to the Patriot League postseason.

Senior David Young came up big in game one with a 2-for-3 performance with a team-high three RBI. The first baseman hit a game-tying home run in the fourth inning, which started a two-run rally for Lehigh (19-25, 7-11) in the frame. The senior posted two RBI in the fifth inning with a single through the left side, which put the Mountain hawks back in the lead.

Another senior, Jacen Nalesnik, had a clutch RBI in the sixth inning with a single to left center. Nalesnik's single ended up as the game-winning hit as Army (22-25, 9-9) tacked on a run in the seventh inning. The Black Knights pulled within one run of the Lehigh lead in the seventh, but could not come up with enough offense to complete the comeback effort.

Senior Connor Donovan assumed his customary game one starting role on the mound and collected the win to improve to 4-2 on the season. Donovan tossed five complete innings as he surrendered two earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts. The senior also batted during his pitching duties and finished 2-for-2 on the day with a run scored.

Ethan Frohman picked up his team-leading fourth save as he tossed 1.2 innings in relief. The sophomore entered in the sixth inning with one out and the bases loaded. He managed to get out of the jam with a strikeout and a ground out. After getting the first batter in the seventh to ground out, Frohman let up a solo home run to get the LU lead to 5-4. After the homer, the lefty locked in to get a strikeout and fly out to end the game.

(4/29/2017) Baseball vs. Army West Point, 4/29/17

Game two began with Army taking a 1-0 lead after one inning of play. Freshman Jason Reynolds fell into trouble early as he allowed a leadoff single and then hit the next batter. Kris Lindner hit a double down the right field line to drive in the RBI. After giving up the run, Reynolds regained his focus and finished the first inning with two strikeouts and a pop up.

Reynolds received a no decision and worked out of several tough situations through his 6.1 innings of work. The big righty allowed two runs on seven hits and posted seven strikeouts on the day. He now has 17 total strikeouts in his last three starts.

The Mountain Hawks got on the board in the third as Jeff Shanfeldt began the rally with a RBI single to left center to score Donovan from second. LU caught a break from an Army throwing error on a failed pickoff which allowed Anthony Rinaldi to score from second. Lehigh tacked on another run on a Black Knight blunder when Shanfeldt came home on a wild pitch.

After going ahead in the second inning, Lehigh held a 3-1 lead through four innings as both pitching staffs silenced the opposing offenses. Army finally broke the silence with a run in the seventh to cut the deficit to 3-2. Peter Moore replaced Reynolds in the seventh and managed to work out of a bases loaded jam to minimize the damage.
Lehigh had something cooking in the eighth inning with runners on the corners and one out. Sam Messina entered for Army and after hitting his first batter, settled in to get a strikeout and a pop up to keep Lehigh off the board.

Clinging to a one-run lead, the Mountain Hawks had two outs recorded in the top of the ninth, but the Black Knights had runners on the corners. Army's Matt Hudgins got a good look at a pitch he liked and poked a double off the bottom of the fence in right center. The next batter lined out to Patrick Donnelly at third, but two runners came in on the RBI double by Hudgins as Army took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth.

Messina resumed his duties on the mound for Army and mowed down the Lehigh lineup with three-straight strikeouts to end the game. Messina claimed the win as he tossed 1.2 scoreless innings with no hits and four strikeouts.

Despite the game two loss, Lehigh still has a shot at a Patriot League postseason appearance. If the Mountain Hawks take two from Army on Sunday, the teams will be tied with a 9-11 record in league play. Lehigh would own the head-to-to head tiebreaker to presumably clinch the fourth and final playoff spot.

Lehigh and Army finish the four-game series at J. David Walker Field on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.