Friday, February 17
Daytona Beach, Fla.
7 p.m.
Lehigh University
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Bethune-Cookman University
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Lehigh
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Bethune-Cookman
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Photo by: Hannahally Photography
Sixth-Inning Home Runs Lift Lehigh to Opening Night Victory over Bethune-Cookman
2/17/2023 10:56:00 PM | Baseball
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Lehigh baseball team (1-0) earned a 5-3 opening night victory over Bethune-Cookman (0-1) Friday night as two home runs in the sixth inning lifted the Mountain Hawks to their third straight win in a season opener.
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"It was a great team win," noted head coach Sean Leary. "We received key contributions from everyone in the lineup."
Sophomore Jake Whitlinger opened the game with a ground-rule double to right field, then stole third during the next at-bat. With two outs, fifth-year Gerard Sweeney singled into left field to plate Whitlinger for the first run of the season for Lehigh. In the top of the second, sophomore Andrew Kohl tripled to left-center and was brought in with a sacrifice fly to right field by junior Riley Davis to give the Mountain Hawks a 2-0 lead over the Wildcats.
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Bethune-Cookman got on the board with one out in the bottom of the third when Hylan Hall singled into right field with the bases loaded to score just one Wildcat. Sophomore Jack Hamilton entered the game for Lehigh on the mound and struck out the next two batters to leave three runners left on base.
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The Wildcats tied the game and took a lead in the bottom of the fourth frame when a single through the left side evened the game temporarily until Luis Tuero doubled to give Bethune-Cookman a 3-2 advantage.
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Lehigh regained the lead with two home runs in the top of the sixth inning. Fifth-year Casey Rother hit a solo homer to right-center to lead off the inning for his 18th-career home run, tying the game at 3-3. Fifth-year Joe Gorla launched a two-run home run to right-center for the seventh homer of his career and put the Brown and White ahead, 5-3.
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Sophomore Alex Bouchard got the opening night start and threw for 2.1 innings with an earned run on four hits, three strikeouts and two walks in the 12 batters he faced. Classmate Jack Hamilton entered the game and tossed 1.2 innings allowing two earned runs on three hits and two strikeouts.
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Senior Will Grisack hurled two scoreless innings without allowing a hit and struck out two Wildcats. Sophomore Val Taddei toed the rubber in the seventh faced two batters and walked both before Rother replaced him on the mound. Rother stranded the bases loaded in the eighth and earned the save with three innings of scoreless relief.Â
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Gorla was the lone Mountain Hawk to record a two-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with his two-run home run and a single with two RBIs. Rother's 18th career home run puts him in a tie for fourth all-time in program history and extends his hit streak to 21 games going back to last season.
Five other Mountain Hawks recorded a hit in the win with Kohl hitting a triple, the first of his career, and a scoring a run. Driving in the other RBI was Davis with his sacrifice fly while Whitlinger started the game with a double and scored a run. Sophomores Justin Butler and Rafe Perich reached base safely for Lehigh's nine hits.
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Grisack was credited with the win, the sixth of his career while Rother earned the save, making his 14th appearance on the mound and recording his third save for the Brown and White.
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"Casey (Rother) certainly led the team with the game-tying home run and three clutch innings of relief," added Leary.
The Mountain Hawks return to Jackie Robinson Ballpark tomorrow, Feb. 18 for game two of the three-game series with the Wildcats. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
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Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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"It was a great team win," noted head coach Sean Leary. "We received key contributions from everyone in the lineup."
Sophomore Jake Whitlinger opened the game with a ground-rule double to right field, then stole third during the next at-bat. With two outs, fifth-year Gerard Sweeney singled into left field to plate Whitlinger for the first run of the season for Lehigh. In the top of the second, sophomore Andrew Kohl tripled to left-center and was brought in with a sacrifice fly to right field by junior Riley Davis to give the Mountain Hawks a 2-0 lead over the Wildcats.
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Bethune-Cookman got on the board with one out in the bottom of the third when Hylan Hall singled into right field with the bases loaded to score just one Wildcat. Sophomore Jack Hamilton entered the game for Lehigh on the mound and struck out the next two batters to leave three runners left on base.
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The Wildcats tied the game and took a lead in the bottom of the fourth frame when a single through the left side evened the game temporarily until Luis Tuero doubled to give Bethune-Cookman a 3-2 advantage.
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Lehigh regained the lead with two home runs in the top of the sixth inning. Fifth-year Casey Rother hit a solo homer to right-center to lead off the inning for his 18th-career home run, tying the game at 3-3. Fifth-year Joe Gorla launched a two-run home run to right-center for the seventh homer of his career and put the Brown and White ahead, 5-3.
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Sophomore Alex Bouchard got the opening night start and threw for 2.1 innings with an earned run on four hits, three strikeouts and two walks in the 12 batters he faced. Classmate Jack Hamilton entered the game and tossed 1.2 innings allowing two earned runs on three hits and two strikeouts.
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Senior Will Grisack hurled two scoreless innings without allowing a hit and struck out two Wildcats. Sophomore Val Taddei toed the rubber in the seventh faced two batters and walked both before Rother replaced him on the mound. Rother stranded the bases loaded in the eighth and earned the save with three innings of scoreless relief.Â
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Gorla was the lone Mountain Hawk to record a two-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with his two-run home run and a single with two RBIs. Rother's 18th career home run puts him in a tie for fourth all-time in program history and extends his hit streak to 21 games going back to last season.
Five other Mountain Hawks recorded a hit in the win with Kohl hitting a triple, the first of his career, and a scoring a run. Driving in the other RBI was Davis with his sacrifice fly while Whitlinger started the game with a double and scored a run. Sophomores Justin Butler and Rafe Perich reached base safely for Lehigh's nine hits.
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Grisack was credited with the win, the sixth of his career while Rother earned the save, making his 14th appearance on the mound and recording his third save for the Brown and White.
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"Casey (Rother) certainly led the team with the game-tying home run and three clutch innings of relief," added Leary.
The Mountain Hawks return to Jackie Robinson Ballpark tomorrow, Feb. 18 for game two of the three-game series with the Wildcats. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
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Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Grisack, Will (1-0)
L: Gabriel Perez (0-1)
S: Rother, Casey (1)
Batting:
2B: Whitlinger, Jake 1
3B: Kohl, Andrew 1
HR: Rother, Casey 1 ; Gorla, Joe 1
RBI: Rother, Casey 1 ; Sweeney, Gerard 1 ; Gorla, Joe 2 ; Davis, Riley 1
SF: Davis, Riley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Whitlinger, Jake 1 ; Rother, Casey 1 ; Sweeney, Gerard 1 ; Gorla, Joe 1 ; Kohl, Andrew 1
SB: Whitlinger, Jake 1
HBP: Cochran, Ryan 1
PO: Kohl, Andrew 1
Batting:
2B: Luis Tuero 1
RBI: Luis Tuero 1 ; Hylan Hall 1 ; Colton Olasin 1
SH: Irvin Escobar 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jason Hodges 1 ; Colton Olasin 2
HBP: Hylan Hall 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
1b/p
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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