Sunday, May 7
Bethlehem, Pa.
12 p.m.
Lehigh University
23-26, 9-15
5
vs
4
Holy Cross
16-34, 6-18
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Holy Cross
0
0
1
1
2
0
0
0
0
4
6
2
Lehigh
1
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
1
5
11
3
Photo by: Maria Bouchard
Whitlinger Walks It Off in Game One as Lehigh Sweeps Holy Cross to Conclude 2023 Season
5/7/2023 6:27:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball team (24-26, 10-15 Patriot League) secured a sweep of Holy Cross (16-35, 6-19 Patriot League) with a 5-4 walk-off win in extra innings in game one, followed by a 3-1 victory to conclude the season from J. David Walker Field at Legacy Park.
Game 1 – W, 5-4 – 9 innings
The Mountain Hawks got on the board in the first inning when sophomore Jake Whitlinger advanced to third and then to home plate on a passed ball to give Lehigh a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless second frame, the Crusaders tallied their first run to tie the game when Connor Cooney homered to right field.
Holy Cross took a 2-1 lead in the fourth with an RBI double to left-center field and Jack Toomey singled to right field and an error brought both Sean Scanlon and Jimmy King across the plate, giving the Crusaders a 4-1 lead in the fifth.
The Brown and White scored twice in the home half of the fifth when first-year Dom Patrizi singled to right and an error allowed him to travel to third base and score junior Tyler Young to put the Mountain Hawks behind 4-2. Junior Riley Davis then singled to left-center field to score Patrizi from third, making it 4-3 heading to the sixth inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, fifth-year Casey Rother recorded an RBI single that scored Whitlinger to tie the game at 4-4 and we would need extra innings to decide the winner of this one.
Fifth-year Gerard Sweeney became the seventh Mountain Hawk in program history to reach 200 career hits with his single to right field, which was misplayed and Sweeney slid in safely to third. Both Rother and sophomore Rafe Perich were intentionally walked to load the bases before a strikeout and double play ended the inning.
Holy Cross started off the ninth inning with a hit-by-pitch and a flyout before CJ Egrie stole second and third to move into scoring position. First-year Shane O'Neill recorded a strikeout and a ground out to get out of the inning.
Patrizi led off the home half of the ninth with a single through the left side and was moved up to second base when Davis dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Whitlinger delivered the game-winning hit through the right side of the infield that scored Patrizi from second and defeated Holy Cross 5-4 in the squad's first walk-off of the season.
Whitlinger went 4-for-5 at the plate with the game-winning RBI, scored two runs and stole a base while Sweeney and Patrizi each went 2-for-4 and Patrizi crossed the plate twice. Rother, Young and Davis each recorded a hit in the game, totaling 11 hits for the Brown and White.
Toomey and Connor Peek each went 2-for-4 for the Crusaders and drove in a run while Cooney and King reached base safely once apiece. Sean Scanlon got the start in game one and threw 4.1 innings and allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits and a strikeout before Luke LeMond entered the game. LeMond tossed 2.2 innings and gave up a run on four hits with three Ks and three walks. Augie Walters (L, 2-4) threw the final 1.2 innings and allowed one run on a couple of hits with one strikeout.
Junior Teddy Tolliver was on the mound for Lehigh and delivered 4.1 innings of work with three runs, two earned, on four hits with a couple of strikeouts before senior Will Grisack entered and retired on batter with a walk, a hit and an unearned run. First-year Cole Leaman was next in relief and twirled 3.1 scoreless innings with just one hit and a walk. Senior Ryan Deom stepped on the rubber to record an out and first-year Shane O'Neill (W, 2-1) closed out the game with a strikeout and a ground out for the win.
Game 2 – W, 3-1
In the second game of the twin bill, Lehigh got on the board in the first inning when Sweeney crushed his fifth home run of the season to right field and gave the Mountain Hawks a 1-0 advantage after the first inning.
Three scoreless innings were played before Holy Cross found the equalizer in the fifth when Oliver Brown grounded out to third with runners on the corners, scoring King to tie the game at 1-1.
The game was not tied for long, as Davis recorded his first home run of the year with a solo homer down the left-field line to put the Brown and White up, 2-1. A few batters later, Sweeney singled home a run to add an insurance run, but that's all the Mountain Hawks would need, claiming a 3-1 victory over the Crusaders.
Sweeney went a perfect 3-for-3 to end the game, plating two runs and scoring one of his own while Young had a 2-for-3 performance with a double. Five other Mountain Hawks collected hits on the day, with Whitlinger and Davis scoring runs and Perich notching his team-leading 19th double, which is tied for second all-time.
The Lehigh pitching staff limited Holy Cross to just three hits in game two, with King producing two doubles and Scanlon reaching base safely. Luke Fox (L, 2-4) started for the Crusaders and went 1.1 innings with a run on two hits. Danny Macchiarola delivered 3.2 innings of work with two runs on six hits and a couple of strikeouts. Payton Sutman and Jake Needham combined for the final inning of work with Sutman allowing two hits and Needham walked one batter.
Senior Ben Christian (W, 3-2) got the start in game two, throwing 5.1 innings and did not allow the first hit of the game until the fifth inning. He allowed just two hits and one run with two strikeouts to conclude his career. Grisack made his second appearance of the day and 24th of the season, breaking the single-season record for appearances. He tossed one inning without allowing a hit before sophomore Najir Glenn (S, 1) relieved him and threw the final 0.2 innings and allowed one hit while closing out the game.
Lehigh wraps up the 2023 season with its third year recording 20-or-more wins and reached at least 10 wins in Patriot League competition.
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more. content, team updates and more.
Game 1 – W, 5-4 – 9 innings
The Mountain Hawks got on the board in the first inning when sophomore Jake Whitlinger advanced to third and then to home plate on a passed ball to give Lehigh a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless second frame, the Crusaders tallied their first run to tie the game when Connor Cooney homered to right field.
Holy Cross took a 2-1 lead in the fourth with an RBI double to left-center field and Jack Toomey singled to right field and an error brought both Sean Scanlon and Jimmy King across the plate, giving the Crusaders a 4-1 lead in the fifth.
The Brown and White scored twice in the home half of the fifth when first-year Dom Patrizi singled to right and an error allowed him to travel to third base and score junior Tyler Young to put the Mountain Hawks behind 4-2. Junior Riley Davis then singled to left-center field to score Patrizi from third, making it 4-3 heading to the sixth inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, fifth-year Casey Rother recorded an RBI single that scored Whitlinger to tie the game at 4-4 and we would need extra innings to decide the winner of this one.
Fifth-year Gerard Sweeney became the seventh Mountain Hawk in program history to reach 200 career hits with his single to right field, which was misplayed and Sweeney slid in safely to third. Both Rother and sophomore Rafe Perich were intentionally walked to load the bases before a strikeout and double play ended the inning.
Holy Cross started off the ninth inning with a hit-by-pitch and a flyout before CJ Egrie stole second and third to move into scoring position. First-year Shane O'Neill recorded a strikeout and a ground out to get out of the inning.
Patrizi led off the home half of the ninth with a single through the left side and was moved up to second base when Davis dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Whitlinger delivered the game-winning hit through the right side of the infield that scored Patrizi from second and defeated Holy Cross 5-4 in the squad's first walk-off of the season.
Whitlinger went 4-for-5 at the plate with the game-winning RBI, scored two runs and stole a base while Sweeney and Patrizi each went 2-for-4 and Patrizi crossed the plate twice. Rother, Young and Davis each recorded a hit in the game, totaling 11 hits for the Brown and White.
Toomey and Connor Peek each went 2-for-4 for the Crusaders and drove in a run while Cooney and King reached base safely once apiece. Sean Scanlon got the start in game one and threw 4.1 innings and allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits and a strikeout before Luke LeMond entered the game. LeMond tossed 2.2 innings and gave up a run on four hits with three Ks and three walks. Augie Walters (L, 2-4) threw the final 1.2 innings and allowed one run on a couple of hits with one strikeout.
Junior Teddy Tolliver was on the mound for Lehigh and delivered 4.1 innings of work with three runs, two earned, on four hits with a couple of strikeouts before senior Will Grisack entered and retired on batter with a walk, a hit and an unearned run. First-year Cole Leaman was next in relief and twirled 3.1 scoreless innings with just one hit and a walk. Senior Ryan Deom stepped on the rubber to record an out and first-year Shane O'Neill (W, 2-1) closed out the game with a strikeout and a ground out for the win.
Game 2 – W, 3-1
In the second game of the twin bill, Lehigh got on the board in the first inning when Sweeney crushed his fifth home run of the season to right field and gave the Mountain Hawks a 1-0 advantage after the first inning.
Three scoreless innings were played before Holy Cross found the equalizer in the fifth when Oliver Brown grounded out to third with runners on the corners, scoring King to tie the game at 1-1.
The game was not tied for long, as Davis recorded his first home run of the year with a solo homer down the left-field line to put the Brown and White up, 2-1. A few batters later, Sweeney singled home a run to add an insurance run, but that's all the Mountain Hawks would need, claiming a 3-1 victory over the Crusaders.
Sweeney went a perfect 3-for-3 to end the game, plating two runs and scoring one of his own while Young had a 2-for-3 performance with a double. Five other Mountain Hawks collected hits on the day, with Whitlinger and Davis scoring runs and Perich notching his team-leading 19th double, which is tied for second all-time.
The Lehigh pitching staff limited Holy Cross to just three hits in game two, with King producing two doubles and Scanlon reaching base safely. Luke Fox (L, 2-4) started for the Crusaders and went 1.1 innings with a run on two hits. Danny Macchiarola delivered 3.2 innings of work with two runs on six hits and a couple of strikeouts. Payton Sutman and Jake Needham combined for the final inning of work with Sutman allowing two hits and Needham walked one batter.
Senior Ben Christian (W, 3-2) got the start in game two, throwing 5.1 innings and did not allow the first hit of the game until the fifth inning. He allowed just two hits and one run with two strikeouts to conclude his career. Grisack made his second appearance of the day and 24th of the season, breaking the single-season record for appearances. He tossed one inning without allowing a hit before sophomore Najir Glenn (S, 1) relieved him and threw the final 0.2 innings and allowed one hit while closing out the game.
Lehigh wraps up the 2023 season with its third year recording 20-or-more wins and reached at least 10 wins in Patriot League competition.
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more. content, team updates and more.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: O'Neill, Shane (3-1)
L: Walters,Augie (2-4)
Batting:
2B: Toomey,Jack 1 ; Peek,Connor 1
HR: Cooney,Connor 1
RBI: Cooney,Connor 1 ; Toomey,Jack 1 ; Peek,Connor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cooney,Connor 1 ; Scanlon,Sean 1 ; Toomey,Jack 1 ; King,Jimmy 1
SB: Egrie,CJ 2
HBP: Scanlon,Sean 1 ; Egrie,CJ 1
PO: Scanlon,Sean 1
Batting:
2B: Young, Tyler 1
RBI: Whitlinger, Jake 1 ; Rother, Casey 1 ; Davis, Riley 1
SH: Davis, Riley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Whitlinger, Jake 2 ; Young, Tyler 1 ; Patrizi, Dom 2
SB: Whitlinger, Jake 1 ; Rother, Casey 1
CS: Whitlinger, Jake 1
PO: Davis, Riley 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
4
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
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IF
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LHP
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RHP
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RHP
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RHP
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IF/RHP
/ BaseballOF/RHP
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/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF/IF
/ Baseball
IF
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