Lehigh Opens League Play with Sunday Split at Rival Lafayette

Sunday, March 25

Easton, Pa.

1 p.m.

Lehigh University

8-11, 0-1

Lafayette College

9-12, 1-0

Lehigh

Lafayette

Lehigh Opens League Play with Sunday Split at Rival Lafayette

3/25/2018 8:28:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Mountain Hawks opened Patriot League play and their four-game series with rival Lafayette with a split in Sunday's doubleheader in Easton. The Leopards squeaked out a 1-0 victory in game one, while Lehigh jumped out to an early lead in game two and kept the pressure on the Leopards to clinch a 5-2 win.

Lehigh (9-11, 1-1) received strong performances on the mound as the Brown and White needed just four arms on the day to hold Lafayette (9-13, 1-1) to just three combined runs and only nine total hits. Levi Stoudt went the distance in game one, while Peter Moore went deep into his game-two start. Matt Hand had a strong relief appearance in game two and Ethan Frohman collected his third save of the season as he closed out the final out of game two.

Stoudt suffered a tough-luck loss in game one as Lafayette scored the game's lone run in the bottom of sixth inning of the seven-inning contest. The game ended just in time for the Leopards whose pitching began to breakdown as Lehigh had runners in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh innings. Lehigh loaded the bases in the seventh as Lafayette surrendered three walks, but the Leopards managed to escape with the victory as a fielder's choice ended the game.

Lehigh wasted little time getting the offense going in game two. Chris Kersey led off with a single and moved to third as Mike Maguire followed up with a double. James Bleming was the third-straight batter to get the ball out of the infield as he hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring home Kersey. Tony Gallo brought home another run with a RBI single to center.

The Mountain Hawks continued to get runners on through the second, third and fourth innings, but just missed on a few pitches to leave those runners stranded. Moore kept the momentum on Lehigh's side as he held Lafayette scoreless with a one-hitter through the first four innings.

The Leopards finally got on the board with a RBI ground out in the bottom of the fifth, but Lehigh had already tacked on a third run in the top of the fifth as a Lafayette error allowed Maguire to score from third. Lehigh padded its lead in the sixth as Ryan Bonshak's sacrifice fly scored Thomas Schumacher. The Mountain Hawks added further insurance to their lead as Bleming traded places with Kersey at second with a RBI double in the ninth.

Moore, Hand and Frohman held the Leopards to their lowest hit total (4) since posting just three hits in their season opener. Moore held Lafayette to just two hits and one run in 5.1 innings of work with five strikeouts as he earned his second victory of the season. Hand put together a strong 3.1-inning relief appearance after entering in the sixth with a bases-loaded jam and worked out of it with a strike out and a fly out. Frohman also worked out of a bases-loaded jam when he entered the game in the ninth and managed to get the final out without surrendering a run.

The top of the lineup did most of the damage in game two as Maguire led Lehigh with three hits, in addition to scoring two runs. Kersey also scored two runs, while Bleming led the lineup of with three RBI in the second game.

The Rivalry will continue Monday as the two teams return to Kamine Stadium. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.