FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
Game 1: Holy Cross 9 Army 0
Game 2: Army 16 Holy Cross 0
WORCESTER, Mass. – Sophomore Matt Shapiro (Raynham, Mass.) threw is second career complete, picking up a seven inning shutout in the first game as the Holy Cross baseball split a doubleheader with Army this afternoon in Patriot League action, winning 9-0 and losing the second game, 16-0. The Crusaders are now 10-15 (5-1 Patriot League) while the Black Knights are 8-17 on the season (2-4 Patriot League).
In game one, junior Billy Cupelo (Franklin, Mass.) started the scoring for Holy Cross, driving in a run on a sacrifice fly to centerfield in the bottom of the second inning. Senior Brendan Akashian (Lowell, Mass.) drove in a run with the bases loaded, singling to left field, making the score 2-0. The Black Knights threatened in the top of the fourth inning, loading the bases with no outs. Shapiro got Mike Greco to fly out to first base for the first out and Chris Simmons lined to third baseman sophomore Matt Perry (Sudbury, Mass.) who completed the double play, throwing out Kevin McKague at second for the final out. The Crusaders rallied in seven more runs in the bottom of the fourth, led by Cupelo’s two-out double to left field that drove in two runs. Shapiro picked up his third win of the season, scattering five hits over seven innings while striking out four batters.
In the second game, Cupelo went 2-for-3, hitting his eighth double of the season while junior Tim Hughes (Andover, Mass.) went 1-for-1 at the plate with a double.
The Crusaders and the Black Knights return to action tomorrow, Sunday April 6, wrapping up their four-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 12:00 p.m.
Game 1: Lafayette 1 Bucknell 0
Game 2: Bucknell 10 Lafayette 2
EASTON, Pa. – The Leopards split their doubleheader against Patriot League opponent Bucknell on Saturday afternoon, winning the first game 1-0 behind seven shutout innings from senior Kevin Reese. Despite out-hitting the Bison by a 12-8 margin in the second game, Lafayette dropped a 10-2 decision.
Reese lowered his season ERA to 2.18 while recording his third win of the season. He allowed just seven hits over seven shutout innings, did not walk a batter and struck out six Bison on the afternoon. Lafayette (13-10, 2-4) scored the game’s first and only run in the first and Reese made sure that was enough.
Shortstop Daniel Bierce recorded the game’s first hit with a one out double in the first inning. Chris Luick then reached on a fielder’s choice, advancing Bierce to third. Catcher Tom Ambrosole ground out to third and Bierce made a heads-up base-running play, scoring from third on the play for the 1-0 Lafayette lead.
The Bison led off the top of the third with a single to shortstop but Reese struck out the final two batters looking to escape the inning. Reese got two more strikeouts in the fourth to preserve the 1-0 Lafayette lead.
A double play in the sixth inning thwarted another Bucknell scoring opportunity and Reese retired the Bison in order in the seventh to give Lafayette the 1-0 victory.
Lafayette starter Jeremy Atkins opened the second game by putting the first two runners on base. A wild pitch scored Dane Grandizio for the 1-0 Bison lead. Bucknell tacked on another run in the second with a RBI groundout by Ed Rubbo, making the score 2-0.
Bucknell (14-12-2, 4-2) scored another two runs in the third. Mark Angelo hit a solo home run to right field and two Lafayette errors led to the second run of the inning and a 4-0 lead.
Freshman Rob Froio, who finished with three hits in the game, knocked a triple to right field in Lafayette’s half of the third and Bierce’s RBI single to nearly the same spot led to the Leopards’ first run of the game.
In the fifth, Froio led off with his second hit of the game, a single through the middle. Luick hit a one-out single, also up the middle, to put two runners on with just one out. Ambrosole recorded the Leopards’ third hit of the inning to load the bases for Joe Ezekiel, who singled to center field to score Froio and cut Bucknell’s lead to 4-2.
A great leaping catch by Luick with one out in the seventh took a multiple base hit away from Ben Yoder. Head coach Joe Kinney then went to the bullpen for the first time all afternoon, bringing in righty Jason Morytko, who got Angelo to fly out to left field to end the inning and keep the Leopards within two of the lead.
Bucknell then erupted for six runs in the ninth inning. Three of those runs were credited to Morytko, who gave two singles and a walk before freshman Ben Hertz came on in relief. The rookie intentionally walked Angelo to load the bases and Kinney then called on the bullpen again, bringing in Brad Woodfield. Jason Buursma, Bucknell’s game one starter, hit a single to short, plating Yoder to make it a 6-2 game. Austin Turban then came to plate with the bases still loaded and knocked a grand slam to right field to give his team an eight-run lead (10-2).
Lafayette put its first two runners on base in the ninth but Bucknell reliever David Solan worked out of the jam to secure the 10-2 Bison win.
The Leopards complete their weekend series against the Bison with a doubleheader tomorrow, beginning at 12 p.m.
Game 1: Navy 5 Lehigh 2
Game 2: Navy 4 Lehigh 1
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy pitchers Oliver Drake (So./Gardner, Mass.) and Mark McCoy (Sr./Parkland, Fla.) both delivered quality starts as the Midshipmen swept Lehigh in a baseball doubleheader at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis on Saturday. The Midshipmen took the opener, 5-2, before winning the nightcap, 4-1.
Navy improved to 19-10 overall and 5-1 in Patriot League play, while Lehigh dips to 13-17 on the year and 0-6 in league contests.
“Both Oliver and Mark were outstanding today,” stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “They were in complete control of their respective games – there were very few threatening innings. They took care of getting the leadoff man and held runners on with the help of Steven (Soares) behind the plate.”
Drake fired 6.1 innings of four-hit baseball with one walk and six strikeouts in the opener to improve his record to 4-2 this season. The Navy right-hander did not yield a base hit over 5.1 innings between the first and sixth innings and did not allow a base runner to reach scoring position until the seventh inning.
McCoy was equally as impressive in the nightcap, as he logged eight innings of one-run, seven-hit baseball with two walks and four strikeouts to up his mark to 4-1 in 2008. The Navy senior did not allow a base runner to reach scoring position over his final-three innings of work. He threw 109 pitches on the day, 69 of which were strikes.
Navy relief pitchers Chris Murray (So./Navarre, Fla.) and Drew Carlson (So./Boca Raton, Fla.) each earned a save on Saturday. Murray came on in relief of Drake and fanned both batters he faced to pick up his third save of the year. Carlson retired the Mountain Hawks 1-2-3 in the nightcap with a pair of strikeouts to record his second save of the season.
In addition to the pitching, Navy’s defense did not commit an error in either game and threw out 4-of-6 attempted base stealers on Saturday. The Midshipmen have not committed an error in 10 of their 19 home games this season.
“Most of the time, pitching and defense work together,” stated Kostacopoulos. “When you pitch well, it’s critical that we make the plays defensively. Today, we did both and it really set the tone.”
In the opener, Navy broke a scoreless tie with a five-run fifth inning that featured eight base hits and 11 batters coming to the plate. Steven Soares (So./Coral Springs, Fla.) led off the inning with a triple, followed by five Midshipmen – Mike Guadagnini (Fr./Virginia Beach, Va.), Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas), Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.), Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) and Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) – each producing a RBI single.
Speciale, Wright and Hamilton each had two hits and a RBI in game one, as the Midshipmen out-hit the Mountain Hawks, 11-4.
In the nightcap, Navy grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Hamilton RBI-single up the middle. Lehigh knotted the game at one in the top half of the second and the score would remain tied until the bottom half of the fifth.
Matthew Curley (So./Boston, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, advanced to third on a throwing error on fielder’s choice and would score on a double play. Wright delivered a two-out single, moved to second on a Hamilton single, reached third on a fielding error and would cross home plate on a wild pitch. One inning later, Curley would again spark the offense, as he led off with a single and would score on a Hollins double down the left-field line.
Wright and Hamilton each had a pair of hits for the second-straight game in the nightcap, while Curley scored twice for the Midshipmen. Navy held a 9-7 advantage in the hits department in game two.
“Jonathan and Thomas keep putting on solid at bats for us in the heart of the order,” said Kostacopoulos. “Every time with both guys, they give you a chance to do something positive. They do not give at bats away.”
The Midshipmen will head up to Bethlehem, Pa., tonight to take on Lehigh tomorrow in a 12 noon doubleheader. The twinbill will be aired locally in the Lehigh Valley region on Service Electric 2 Sports, as Jeff Tourial and Steve Lomangino will call the action.
