Lehigh Falls in Doubleheader to Open Series With Army

Saturday, April 7

Bethlehem, Pa.

12 p.m.

Lehigh University

11-16, 1-6

Army

14-14, 6-2

Army West Point

Lehigh

Lehigh Falls in Doubleheader to Open Series With Army

4/7/2018 8:10:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh opened its three-game set against Army West Point with a pair of losses in Saturday's doubleheader at Walker Field. The Black Knights (15-14, 7-2 PL) rode the momentum of an early to a 14-0 victory in game one and held off a near late-inning comeback by Lehigh (11-17, 1-7 PL) to hang on for a 5-3 victory in game two.

Army jumped out to lead early in game one with four runs in the first inning. The Black Knights had an aggressive approach at the plate, jumping on the first hittable pitch they saw as the first three batters all reach on singles. Army compiled five hits in the inning as all nine batters recorded an at bat.

Tyler Giovinco (4-3) went the distance and collected the win for Army in game one as he scattered just four hits through 7.0 scoreless innings. He allowed just one walk, while striking out five as he recorded five ground outs and nine fly outs without allowing an extra-base hit on the day.

The Black Knights gave Giovinco some insurance and sealed the win as they compiled seven runs on just three hits in the seventh inning as they were also aided by four walks.

Army struck first again in game two, but was held to just one run in the first inning as Peter Moore recorded a strikeout to leave three runners stranded. The Black Knights edged out to a 2-0 lead with another run in the third, but once again the damage was limited to just one run as Matt Hand left three runners on base with an inning-ending fly out to center.

The Black Knights broke open a bigger lead in the fifth with three runs on three hits. After threatening with runners in scoring position three times in the first four innings, the Mountain Hawks broke through in the fifth as James Bleming tripled to right center and Chris Kersey scored from second.

Bleming came through again in the seventh with a sacrifice fly to right field for the second out of the inning. The Black Knights limited the damage as they nabbed Ryan Bonshak attempting to advance to second on the relay from the outfield.

Lehigh mounted one last comeback attempt in the ninth as a Kersey double advanced Tyler Schreiner to third. Bonshak brought the run in with a sacrifice fly to right field. Bleming drew a two-out walk to extend the rally, but the Black Knights got out of the inning with a force out at second on a Tony Gallo grounder to shortstop.

Army's Matt Ball (3-1) earned the win in game two as he surrendered two runs on nine hits through 6.1 innings of work with seven strikeouts and no walks. Cam Opp earned his first save of the season as he tossed the final two thirds of the ninth inning without surrendering a hit or a run.

Matt Svanson helped give Lehigh a chance at a comeback down the stretch as he tossed 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits with a strikeout and a walk. Ethan Frohman was also strong in relief as he tossed the final 2.0 innings without allowing a run or a hit.

Bleming, Kersey and Jeff Shanfeldt paced the Lehigh offense with three hits each on the day as Schreiner led with two runs scored. Bleming led with two RBIs as Bonshak chipped in a third.

Lehigh will close out the series on Sunday with a single starting at 12 p.m.