May 3, 2000

Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Lafayette baseball team couldn't hold on to an early 2-0 lead, as the Rutgers' bats belted out 21 hits en route to a 16-5 win on Wednesday.

Lafayette took a 2-0 lead in its first at-bat of the game. Tye Gonser (The Dalles, Ore./The Dalles) got the inning going for Lafayette with a one-out triple. Senior Bob Osipower (Quakertown, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) drove him in with a single to left center. Consecutive singles from Mike Palos (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) and Jon Kline (Hingham, Mass./Thayer Academy) brought home Osipower, with Kline collecting the RBI.

Rutgers, which finished the season undefeated at home (17-0), took control in the bottom of the first inning by scoring six runs highlighted by a three-run triple from Matt Wolski.

The Scarlet Knights tacked on three more runs over the second and third innings before Lafayette could get back on the board. Lafayette scored a run in the fifth following a lead-off single by Vince D'Angelis (Montvale, N.J./St. Joseph Regional). D'Angelis advanced to second on an error on the play and later scored when Gonser connected for another of his four hits on the day. The run made the score 9-3.

Rutgers (34-13) quelled any Lafayette thoughts of a comeback with seven runs over the fifth and sixth innings. Mike Popowski delivered a two-run double in the fifth and David DeJesus and Darren Fenster delivered back-to-back, run-scoring doubles in the sixth to highlight the scoring and give Rutgers a 16-3 lead.

Lafayette tacked on two runs in the top of the ninth. Gonser came through again for the Leopards with a one-out single through the right side that brought in two runs to close the gap to 16-5.

Freshman Matt Tambellini (Millville, N.J./Sacred Heart) took the loss on the hill for Lafayette, surrendering eight earned runs in 1 1/3 innings of work. Jason Bergmann got the win, throwing six innings while allowing nine hits and three runs.

Lafayette's record moves to 12-27. The Leopards may have to make up one or more games with Army, pending the outcome of an Army vs. Holy Cross matchup on Thursday. If Army wins, Lafayette's season will be over. If Army loses, Lafayette will travel to play Army on Saturday to help determine final seedings for the teams participating in the Patriot League Tournament.