March 29, 2000

Box Score

Easton, PA - Lafayette used a balanced offensive attack to hold on for its third straight win, this time topping Penn 10-9 in a nine-inning game.

Lafayette started the scoring off in the game, with a run in each of its first two at-bats. Bob Osipower (Quakertown, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) brought lead off hitter Vince D'Angelis (Montvale, NJ/ St. Joseph Regional) plateward with a fielder's choice in the top of the first.

Penn responded in the top of the next inning, as Brian Fitzgerald brought in Chris May and Andrew McCreery. The Quakers tacked on their final run of the inning on an error to lead 3-2.

Lafayette cut the deficit to one, when D'Angelis singled home Russ Giglio (Old Forge, PA/Old Forge) to make it 3-2 after the second inning.

Lafayette took the lead for good in the third inning. Mike Palos (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) scored on a passed ball and Matt Tambellini (Millville, NJ/Sacred Heart) was walked in to give Lafayette the 4-3 lead.

Lafayette followed the third with a three-run fourth. After Palos reached base on a dropped third strike, Osipower connected on his first home run of the year. Tambellini followed that two-run shot with a solo blast of his own to give Lafayette a 7-3 advantage at the end of four.

After allowing Penn a pair of runs in the fifth, Lafayette struck back with three more of its own. Giglio singled in a pair, and Lafayette scored what would turn out to be the game-winning run when D'Angelis took one for the team with the bases loaded to bring home Jon Kline Hingham, MA/Thayer Academy).

Penn answered with three runs in the seventh, but Lafayette's ace reliever Ross Butler (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) came in to begin the eight and closed the door on the Quaker comeback. Ross allowed just one run in two innings, a run that was unearned.

In the ninth, Butler walked the first two batters, but cut down an attempt to sacrifice the runner to third with a strong play in the field. Butler sent the final two batters of the game to the dugout via strikeout.

Brendan McDonough (Moscow, PA/North Pocono) earned the win for Lafayette, throwing three innings while surrendering two hits and two runs (neither earned). Butler got the save. Nick Barnhorst got the loss, walking five while facing seven batters in the third inning.

Lafayette improves to 4-11 overall, while Penn falls to 8-8. The Leopards return to action on Saturday when they host Patriot League foe Bucknell in a doubleheader. The opening pitch will be at noon at Metzgar Fields.