Lehigh University
11-14
Villanova University
4-19
Rother Records 200th Career Hit as Villanova Tops Lehigh in the First Round of the Liberty Bell Classic
3/28/2023 7:55:00 PM | Baseball
After a scoreless first frame, the Wildcats took their first lead on a couple of RBI singles and an RBI double from AJ Hansen for a 3-0 advantage. Lehigh countered with a three-run third inning with junior Riley Davis singling to score first-year Dom Patrizi.
Riley Davis gets Lehigh on the board with a single into center that scored Dom Patrizi. It's 3-1 Villanova in the bottom of the 3rd.
— Lehigh Baseball (@LehighBaseball) March 28, 2023
Watch on @PatriotLeagueTV and @ESPN (https://t.co/w2lAStyojz)#GoLehigh | #RTTR pic.twitter.com/hyuH6THCoS
Sophomore Rafe Perich grounded out to second, but it was good enough to score Davis before fifth-year Casey Rother doubled down the left-field line and advanced to third on an error after first-year Owen Walewander scored to tie the game at 3-3 through two innings.
Rother ties the game with an RBI double to right field! It's 3-3 between Lehigh and Villanova after 3 innings!
— Lehigh Baseball (@LehighBaseball) March 28, 2023
Watch on @PatriotLeagueTV and @ESPN+ (https://t.co/w2lAStyojz)#GoLehigh | #RTTR pic.twitter.com/JkbCrTbzX2
With that RBI double, Rother becomes the sixth Mountain Hawk in the history of the program to reach 200 career hits.
Both squads remained tied at 3-3 until the top of the fifth when Villanova took the lead with a bases-loaded walk. The Wildcats would score two more runs in the sixth inning when Jack O'Reilly grounded out to second base to score a run and Peter Giombetti singled to center field to put Villanova back on top by three, 6-3.
Lehigh would come within a run in the bottom half of the sixth when Rother crushed his seventh home run of the season to left field and Patrizi singled to score sophomore Andrew Kohl, putting the score at 6-5 after six innings.
GONE!! Rother crushes his 7️⃣th home run of the year with this solo shot to left field. Lehigh trails Villanova 6-4 in the 6th.
— Lehigh Baseball (@LehighBaseball) March 28, 2023
Watch on @PatriotLeagueTV and @ESPN (https://t.co/w2lAStyojz)#GoLehigh | #RTTR pic.twitter.com/O3lIPtAEhR
One-run game!! Patrizi legs out a single which scores another run. It's 6-5 going to the 7th!
— Lehigh Baseball (@LehighBaseball) March 28, 2023
Watch on @PatriotLeagueTV and @ESPN (https://t.co/w2lAStyojz)#GoLehigh | #RTTR pic.twitter.com/YfDv7ZlVnM
Villanova added an insurance run in the top of the eighth when a run scored on a wild pitch, giving the Wildcats a 7-5 lead. The Mountain Hawks managed to tie the game up at 7-7 in their half of the eighth when Kohl singled through the right side to score Rother. Junior Tyler Young then doubled down the right-field line to score Sweeney to tie the game, but the go-ahead run was gunned out at the plate. The Wildcats then threw out another runner that would have given Lehigh the lead, and the teams would head to the ninth inning tied at 7-7 all.
YOUNG TIES IT UP!! Tyler Young doubles down the right-field line to score the game-tying run! It's 7-7 in the bottom of the 8th!
— Lehigh Baseball (@LehighBaseball) March 28, 2023
Watch on @PatriotLeagueTV and @ESPN (https://t.co/w2lAStyojz)#GoLehigh | #RTTR pic.twitter.com/jVClaukSDW
The Wildcats managed to score twice in the top of the final frame when Craig Larsen hit an RBI single through the left side for the go-ahead run and Giombetti added an insurance run with a single up the middle to give Villanova a 9-7 lead. Lehigh started with a leadoff single from pinch hitter Justin Butler followed by a walk. Both Mountain Hawks moved up a base on a wild pitch, but Rother grounded out as the runners stayed put and the Wildcats struck out the final batter of the game to seal the 9-7 victory.
Eight different Mountain Hawks contributed to the 13 total hits in the non-league game, led by Patrizi going 3-for-4 with a run scored and driving in a run. Rother, Kohl and Young each produced two hits on the day, with Rother connecting on the 24th home run of his career and team-leading 12th double of the season with two RBIs and two runs scored. Kohl had two base hits with an RBI and a run scored while Young had a double and plated a run. Four others recorded a base knock
Lehigh used nine pitchers on Tuesday with sophomore right-hander Rafe Perich getting the start and recording a strikeout with three runs and three hits in 1.1 innings of work. Senior right-hander Ryan Deom tossed 1.2 scoreless innings with just one hit and struck out two Wildcats before first-year Anthony Gonzalez threw 1.2 innings with one run allowed on one hit and a strikeout.
First-year righty Ryan Mullock and right-handed junior Tyler Thompson combined for an inning of action with Mullock recording an out with two walks while Thompson threw 0.2 innings and allowed two runs on three hits. Senior right-hander Will Grisack tossed 1.1 innings without giving up a run on two and a strikeout before first-year righty Tommy Lamar recorded an out with a walk and a run on two hits. Sophomore lefty Najir Glenn threw 0.2 innings without a hit or run while the right-handed first-year David Andolina (L, 0-1) tossed the game's final inning and gave up two runs on three hits.
The Mountain Hawks are set to host Lafayette in The Rivalry sponsored by Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute with a four-game series, starting on Friday, March 31 with a single game at 3 p.m. A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday, April 1, with game one of the day beginning at 12 p.m. Lehigh closes out the series with a single game on Sunday, April 2 with first pitch at 12 p.m. All games will be streamed on ESPN+.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: MONTFORT, Patrick (1-1)
L: Andolina, David (0-1)
S: UDELL, Cade (1)
Batting:
2B: HANSEN, AJ 1 ; WHOOLEY, Michael 1
RBI: HANSEN, AJ 1 ; O'REILLY, Jack 1 ; LARSEN, Craig 1 ; GIOMBETTI, Peter 2 ; VALDEZ, Jose 1 ; COOKE, Paul 1 ; WHOOLEY, Michael 1
SH: WHOOLEY, Michael 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HANSEN, AJ 2 ; LARSEN, Craig 1 ; GIOMBETTI, Peter 1 ; SOLARI, Shane 1 ; VALDEZ, Jose 1 ; COOKE, Paul 2 ; WHOOLEY, Michael 1
SB: LARSEN, Craig 1 ; SOLARI, Shane 1
CS: HANSEN, AJ 1
HBP: HANSEN, AJ 1 ; O'REILLY, Jack 2 ; GIOMBETTI, Peter 1 ; GROBER, Steve 1
Batting:
2B: Rother, Casey 1 ; Young, Tyler 1
HR: Rother, Casey 1
RBI: Perich, Rafe 1 ; Rother, Casey 2 ; Kohl, Andrew 1 ; Young, Tyler 1 ; Patrizi, Dom 1 ; Davis, Riley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rother, Casey 2 ; Sweeney, Gerard 1 ; Kohl, Andrew 1 ; Patrizi, Dom 1 ; Davis, Riley 1 ; Walewander, Owen 1
SB: Patrizi, Dom 2
