April 2, 2000
Box Score
EASTON, PA -- After taking one of two games from Bucknell on Saturday, Lafayette came close to pulling off the weekend series split before falling 11-10 in 10 innings in the first game on Sunday.
Lafayette spotted Bucknell five runs in the Bison's opening at-bat led by doubles from Kevin Eiben, Tyler Prout and Russ Lindberg and a two-run homer from cleanup hitter Frank Fresconi. The Bison tacked on two more in the top of the second thanks to an RBI-double from Prout and an RBI-singles from the bat of Fresconi.
The Leopards didn't let Bucknell cruise the rest of the way, however. Senior Mike Palos (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) led off the home half of the second with a single. The next batter, freshman Matt Tambellini (Millville, NJ/Sacred Heart), smacked his second home run of the season to make it 5-2. Freshman Russ Giglio (Old Forge, PA/Old Forge) kept the rally going with a single before stealing second.
Sophomore Tye Gonser (The Dalles, OR/The Dalles) doubled Giglio and Vince D'Angelis (Montvale, NJ/St., Joseph Regional) home. Senior Bob Osipower (Quakertown, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) then drove in the Leopards' final run of the inning with a single through the left side, leaving the Leopards' trailing 7-5.
In the fifth inning, Bucknell's Pat Cann ended a two-inning scoreless swing with a solo homer to give the Bison an 8-5 lead. In the bottom of that inning, the Leopards came clawing back. With runners on first and second, the freshman Giglio connected for his first career home run to knot the score at 8-8.
The score remained tied at 8-8 at the end of seven innings, sending the contest to extra innings. Bucknell struck in the ninth. Eiben singled home Ian Joseph who had reached on a double. Eiben scored two batters later when Fresconi singled him home to give Bucknell a 9-7 advantage.
In the bottom of the ninth, Osipower led off with a single and advanced to second when the next batter, Palos, was hit by a pitch. Catcher Jason Carlough (Clinton, CT/Morgan School) singled home Osipower and moved Palos to third to bring Lafayette within one. The next batter, Giglio, plated Palos with a one-out sacrifice fly. Pinch hitter Jon Kline (Hingham, MA/Thayer Academy) then singled down the left field line, moving Carlough to third. The inning ended, however, when D'Angelis went down swinging.
In the 10th, Bucknell manufactured a run after the first batter, Lindberg was hit by a pitch. Chris Herron singled pinch runner Brad Gething to second before a sacrifice bunt by Eric Fishman advanced him to third. Eiben knocked home the game-winning run on a one-out sac fly.
Lafayette led off the home half of the 10th with a Gonser single. He stole second, but was stranded, ending the game at 11-10.
Greg Farmery (1-1) got the win for Bucknell, throwing two innings while striking out one. Ross Butler (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) dropped to 1-2 with the loss.
