Lehigh University
8-4
Utah Valley University
8-6
Lehigh Earns Comeback Victory in Series Opener Over Utah Valley
3/10/2023 9:10:00 PM | Baseball
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The Wolverines scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take an early 2-0 lead but the Mountain Hawks countered in the top of the second when junior Andrew Nole singled into left field, which scored two runs to tie the game at 2-2. Utah Valley got two more runs across in the second and tacked on a couple more runs in their half of the third to extend its advantage to 6-2.
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All tied up! Andrew Nole with a two-RBI base knock to even the game at 2-2 in the top of the 2nd.
— Lehigh Baseball (@LehighBaseball) March 10, 2023
Watch on @ESPN - https://t.co/SeN2QeXetX#GoLehigh | #RTTR pic.twitter.com/oLqHzKN0qG
In the top of the fourth inning, Lehigh cut the deficit in half when fifth-year Joe Gorla blasted a solo home run to left field, putting the Brown and White within three runs, 6-3. The Mountain Hawks would slowly chip away at the Wolverines' lead, scoring a run in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to tie the game at 6-6.
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All tied up! Andrew Nole with a two-RBI base knock to even the game at 2-2 in the top of the 2nd.
— Lehigh Baseball (@LehighBaseball) March 10, 2023
Watch on @ESPN - https://t.co/SeN2QeXetX#GoLehigh | #RTTR pic.twitter.com/oLqHzKN0qG
Utah Valley answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh frame to regain the lead at 7-6. Lehigh would take its first lead in the eighth inning, tying it at 7-7 with fifth-year Gerard Sweeney singling through the right side to score sophomore Rafe Perich. Junior Tyler Young gave the Mountain Hawks the lead at 8-7 with an RBI single to left field to score fifth-year Casey Rother.
Rother then provided Lehigh with an insurance run with an RBI single to left field to score junior Jake Whitlinger for a 9-7 advantage. Rother then moved from first base to the pitcher's mound and got a Wolverine to pop up to short for the final out and give Lehigh a 9-7 victory.Sweeney with an RBI single!! Sweeney pokes a hit through the right side to score Rafe Perich and tied the game at 7-7!!
— Lehigh Baseball (@LehighBaseball) March 10, 2023
Watch on ESPN+ - https://t.co/SeN2QeXetX#GoLehigh | #RTTR pic.twitter.com/vfZeHTeCc0
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Rother adds some insurance!! Rother rips a single into left field and extends the Mountain Hawks' lead to 9-7!
— Lehigh Baseball (@LehighBaseball) March 11, 2023
Watch on ESPN+ - https://t.co/SeN2QeXetX#GoLehigh | #RTTR pic.twitter.com/9NOA3i8gDt
Eight of the nine Mountain Hawks that stepped up to the plate recorded two or more hits, as Lehigh totaled 21 hits in the game. Gorla, Nole, Young, Whitlinger and junior Riley Davis all turned in three-hit performances, with Gorla going 3-for-4 while collecting two extra-base hits with his fourth homer of the season, a double and a walk with an RBI and two runs scored. Nole went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs while Young scored two runs and drove in a run. Whitlinger and Davis both score a run with Davis hitting a double. Perich, Rother and Sweeney had two hits and an RBI each with Perich scoring twice and Rother scoring a run.
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Senior Ben Christian got the nod in the first game of the series and tossed two innings of work and gave up six runs, four earned, on nine hits with one strikeout and a walk. He was then replaced by sophomore Najir Glenn who threw 3.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and three hits. Sophomore Tyler Thompson (W, 1-0) entered in relief and hurled 1.1 innings with one hit, one earned run, a strikeout and two walks before senior Will Grisack threw 1.2 innings and gave up two hits with one strikeout. Rother (S, 2) came in for the final out of the game to earn the save, his second of the season.
Lehigh returns to UCCU Ballpark tomorrow for a doubleheader with the Wolverines, with the first game of the day scheduled to start at 2:05 p.m. (EST), followed by the second game of the twin bill at 5:35 p.m. (EST). Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Thompson, Tyler (1-0)
L: Fowlks, Ethan (0-1)
S: Rother, Casey (1)
Batting:
2B: Gorla, Joe 1 ; Nole, Andrew 1 ; Davis, Riley 1
HR: Gorla, Joe 1
RBI: Perich, Rafe 1 ; Rother, Casey 1 ; Sweeney, Gerard 1 ; Young, Tyler 1 ; Gorla, Joe 1 ; Nole, Andrew 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Whitlinger, Jake 1 ; Perich, Rafe 2 ; Rother, Casey 1 ; Young, Tyler 2 ; Gorla, Joe 2 ; Davis, Riley 1
Batting:
2B: Cutchen, Trey 1 ; Camper, Burke 1 ; Mills, Patrick 2 ; Dickinson, Daniel 1 ; Schwarz, Matthew 1 ; Luna, Brandon 1
RBI: Camper, Burke 1 ; Mills, Patrick 1 ; Halvorson, Calyn 1 ; Dickinson, Daniel 1 ; Rowe, Cameron 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Cutchen, Trey 2 ; Camper, Burke 1 ; Mills, Patrick 1 ; Dickinson, Daniel 1 ; Schwarz, Matthew 1 ; Broussard, Garrett 1
SB: Rowe, Cameron 1
HBP: Camper, Burke 1
