Lehigh Suffers Midweek Setback to St. Joe's

Tuesday, April 24

Bethlehem, Pa.

3:30 p.m.

Lehigh University

15-24

Saint Joseph's University

15-20

Saint Joseph's

Lehigh

4/24/2018 9:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Mountain Hawks opened its six-game home stand with a 10-2 loss to Saint Joseph's on Tuesday in a non-league matchup at Walker Field.

Lehigh (15-24) and St. Joe's (15-20) played a tight, back-and-forth game through the first four innings, until the Hawks jumped out a five-run lead after scoring three times in the fifth. St. Joe's then piled on four more runs in the ninth to seal the victory.

After Cole McManimon retired the Hawks in order in the first inning, St. Joe's put two runners in scoring position in the second inning a managed to score one on a fielder's choice for the game's first run. McManimon got the next batter to line out and then picked off the runner at second to get out of the inning with minimal damage.

The St. Joe's lead did not last long as Quinn McKenna tied the game with a no-doubt solo home run in the bottom of the second that hit the scoreboard in left field. The rookie outfielder smashed a 2-0 pitch that was gone the second it left his bat for his first-career home run and the first by a Lehigh player at Walker Field this season.

The McKenna home run would be the last Lehigh run for the next five innings, while the Hawks compiled two in the fourth, including a solo homer of their own, followed by a three-run outburst in the fifth.

Tyler Schreiner got in scoring position in the eighth inning as he and Tony Gallo each drew a walk in the frame. Jeff Shanfeldt broke the scoreless drought as he laced a single through the right side to score the speedy Schreiner from second.

Shanfeldt paced the Lehigh offense on the day with a 2-for-4 performance with an RBI and a walk. Gallo extended his on-base streak to eight-straight games with a hit and two walks on the day.

Senior pitchers Buck Schwab and Matt Kozemchak shutdown the St. Joe's offense after the Hawks extended their in the fifth. Schwab entered in a tough spot in the fifth with runners on the corners, but the lefty managed to recorded a four-pitch strikeout to get out of the jam. Kozemchak took over for Schwab to start the sixth and battled through a lead-off walk and an infield single without surrendering a run as he left two runners stranded in scoring position.

Senior arm Matt Ratner came to start the seventh and retired five of the first seven batters he faced as he tossed back-to-back scoreless innings. Ratner fell into some trouble in the ninth as he surrendered a lead-off single followed by a walk. After a fly out to center, St. Joe's moved the runners and put a run on the board with a single through the left side. Then, with two outs, the Hawks tacked on two more runs with a double off the base of the wall in left and tacked one more run with a double to right center to take a 10-2 lead.

Lehigh will return to Walker Field on Wednesday for a non-league matchup against Coppin State. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.