FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
Game 1: Holy Cross 11 Navy 5
Game 2: Navy 2 Holy Cross 1
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Senior Brendan Akashian (Lowell, Mass.) went 4-for-8 with a double and two RBIs while freshman Eric Oxford (Danavers, Mass.) went 3-for-8 with three RBIs and a double as the Holy Cross baseball team split with Navy in a Patriot League doubleheader, winning the first game 11-5 and dropping game two, 2-1. The Crusaders are now 20-25 (11-9 Patriot League) while the Midshipmen are 28-21 on the season (11-9 Patriot League).
The weekend series clinched a league tournament berth for Holy Cross, marking the third appearance the Crusaders have made the tournament since joining the Patriot League in 1990. Today’s win in the matinee game also gave Holy Cross its first 20-win season since 1980.
In game one, Holy Cross broke free of being held scoreless in the first three innings as Oxford hit a leadoff double down the left field line and then scored on a single by freshman Nick Ciardello (Edison, N.J.). A sacrifice fly to centerfield by sophomore John Sills (Milton, Mass.) scored Ciardello from third base. The Crusaders scored two more runs in the top of the fifth as Akashian doubled down the left field line, driving in sophomore Matt Perry (Sudbury, Mass.) who reached on a leadoff single through the left side. After stealing third base, Akashian scored on a single to right field by Oxford, making the score 5-1. Navy got within one run of Holy Cross (5-4) as Michael Speciale hit a three-run double to left centerfield. Holy Cross secured the league victory in the top of the sixth, bringing in seven runs, led by Oxford and senior Kyle Lister (Lincoln, R.I.), who drove in two runs each. The Mids scored one run in the bottom of the seventh, but Holy Cross picked up the 11-5 victory. Senior Matt O’Brien (Hingham, Mass.) earned the win for the Crusaders, pitching five and one third innings while scattering seven hits and allowing five runs. Chris Murray received the loss, going one inning and giving up three runs on two hits.
In game two, Navy scored two runs in the bottom of the first and but were held scoreless for the remainder of the game, After being held scoreless for the first six innings, senior Gil Gomez (Lake Worth, Fla.) drove in Akashian for the lone Holy Cross run. The Mids’ Oliver Drake earned the win, pitching a complete game and allowing three hits while striking out 11 batters. Senior Mike Thater (Danbury, Conn.) received the loss for the Crusaders after going seven and one third innings, giving up nine hits and allowing just two runs while fanning four.
The Crusaders return to action on Tuesday, April 29, when they travel to Rhode Island for a game scheduled at 3:30 p.m.
Game 1: Lafayette 5 Army 3
Game 2: Army 3 Lafayette 1
WEST POINT, N.Y. — The Lafayette baseball team began the final day of the Patriot League season with a 5-3 win over Army before dropping a 3-1 decision in the second game of a doubleheader. The loss eliminated the Leopards from qualifying for the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since 2005.
Freshman Zach Fritz pitched five-plus innings and earned his second win of the season by holding the Black Knights to three runs. The Lafayette offense, led by A.J. Miller’s team-high three hits, provided Fritz with five runs of support in the win. Shortstop Daniel Bierce had two hits as he and Miller combined for more than half of Lafayette’s hits (9).
The Leopards (20-21, 8-13) opened the game with three runs in the top of the first with four hits off Army starter Cole White. With one out, Bierce and Chris Luick hit back-to-back singles and Miller recorded the team’s third consecutive single to plate Bierce for the 1-0 lead. Jeff Butler followed with the inning’s third single to score Luick. Matt Hall drew a walk to load the bases and a Tom Hayes sacrifice fly made it a 3-0 Lafayette lead.
Fritz allowed just two singles in the first two innings before giving up two runs in the third on RBI singles to White and Kyle McKague, cutting Lafayette’s lead to one (3-2).
The Leopards scored two runs of their own in the top of the fourth. A.J. Pisarri reached first on a fielder’s choice and advanced to third on a Ryan Roberts ground out. Freshman Rob Froio then knocked a RBI single to right field and advanced to third on an error by Army right fielder Kyle Stramara. A wild pitch allowed Froio to score the second run of the inning and give the Leopards a 5-2 edge.
Army (21-21, 13-7) made it a two-run game with a run in the fifth inning. Andy Ernesto and White hit leadoff singles and McKague hit a RBI single through the left side for a 5-3 score. Lafayette went to its bullpen, bringing in senior Jason Morytko, who recorded all three outs, including an inning-ending double play. Steve Roberts came in to pitch the top of the seventh and overcame one hit and two Lafayette errors to pitch out of trouble and secure the 5-3 win.
Junior Ryan Hanna started game two for the Leopards and held the Black Knights hitless through four innings. He got support from his offense with a run in the top of the fourth inning. Froio and Bierce led off with singles and Froio came around to score on Butler’s single through the right side.
The Black Knights tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a one-out Chris Simmons RBI double down the left field line. Hanna retired the next two batters to keep it a tie game.
Army took the lead with two runs in the sixth inning, a lead it would no relinquish. With one out, Clint Moore singled to shortstop and Ernesto homered to left field to give his team the 3-1 lead. With one out, Brian Mostek came in from the bullpen and after giving up a double to White, got the final two outs of the inning.
Mortyko pitched a scoreless eighth inning but reliever Kirk Porter retired the Leopards in the top of the ninth as Lafayette dropped the final 3-1 decision.
The Leopards return home after a 16-game road trip to host Wagner on Tuesday, April 29, at 4 p.m.
Game 1: Bucknell 7 Lehigh 4
Game 2: Lehigh 13 Bucknell 8
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Lehigh and Bucknell split its final two games of league play on Sunday. The Bison won the first game 7-4 while the Mountain Hawks took the second game 13-8. Four different Lehigh players had two RBI in the second game, to lead the Brown and White to the win. Lehigh now stands at 23-27 (7-13) on the year, while Bucknell finishes the regular season 22-21-2 (10-10).
In the first game, Liam O’Connor drove in the first two runs on a single through the right side of the infield to score Mark Bernhard and Brendan McGaheran, giving the Mountain Hawks a 2-0 lead after one.
Lehigh added a run in the second on an RBI double by Joe Ercolano, however, Bucknell rallied to put up five runs in the bottom half of the inning. The Mountain Hawks cut the deficit to one run in the fifth on an RBI triple by Andy Russell.
The score remained the same till the bottom of the sixth when the Bison scored two runs on a two-run single by Ben Yoder.
Andrew Berger (2-6) was hit with the loss for Lehigh, pitching 1.2 innings, surrendering five runs on six hits. Matthew Wilson (4-1) pitched a complete game for Bucknell to pick up the win.
In game two, Lehigh once again scored first, this time on a single by Russell to score Ercolano. The Bison scored three runs in the second and third innings to take a 3-1 lead through four innings.
The Mountain Hawks offense then exploded to score 12 straight runs from the fifth to seventh innings. Ercolano knocked in the first run of the fifth inning on a single to center field to score Dan Clauson, who reached on a double. McGaheran followed that up two batters later with a two-run triple to right center to give Lehigh the lead back at 4-3.
Lehigh added two more runs in the inning on RBI from Russell and O’Connor. In the sixth inning, an error by Jason Buursma in left field allowed Ercolano and Clauson to score, increasing the Mountain Hawks’ lead to 8-3.
The Brown and White batted around the order in the seventh, bringing 10 players to the plate in the inning. O’Connor, Matt Reitz and Geoff Campbell all picked up one RBI in the inning, while Clauson had two on a single to center field.
Bucknell attempted to make a comeback, putting up three runs in the seventh and two more in the ninth, but it was not enough as the Mountain Hawks held on for the win.
Billy Alec (2-1) earned the win for Lehigh, pitching 6.1 innings and tied his season high with five strikeouts, while giving up just five hits. Dylan Seeley (3-2) was given the loss for Bucknell, pitching 4.1 innings, surrendering six runs on eight hits.
The Mountain Hawks will close out the 2008 season on May 8, when they host Coppin State in a non-league doubleheader. The first game is scheduled to get underway at noon from the Goodman Campus.
