April 11, 2001
Box Score
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Columbia's Billy Hess drove a base hit into the centerfield gap to drive in the winning run in a 6-5 Lafayette loss on Wednesday in non-conference baseball action.
Lafayette took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Jason Moll (Montvile, N.J./Newark Academy) drove a ball to left field to plate Patriot League Player of th Week Craig Alexander (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) who had reached on a walk. Moll ended the day 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Columbia struck back for three runs in the second. Keith Palmieri singled to center with the bases loaded to knock in two runs. Lead-off hitter Matt Buckmiller drove in Columbia's third run with an RBI-single.
The Leopards rallied for three runs in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. Lafayette started the inning with three singles from the bats of Jon Kline (Hingham, Mass./Thayer Academy), Eric Vacca (Philadelphia, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy) and Moll. Moll's single drove in Spence Green (Atlanta, Ga./Westminster) who had pinch run for Kline. Jason Boyd's (Littlestown, Pa./Littlestown) sacrifice fly to center tied the game at 3-3 and Vince D'Angelis (Montvale, N.J./St. Joseph's Regional) gave the Leopards the lead with an RBI-double. D'Angelis finished the game with two hits and an RBI.
Lafayette added another run in the seventh when Alexander scored on a wild pitch to give Lafayette a 5-3 lead.
The Lions (11-18) put together a two-out rally in the hame half of the seventh inning. Mark DiGesu and Buckmiller were hit by pitches and later came around to score on a double by Justin Berti to tie the game 5-5.
In the visitor ninth, Lafayette had runners on first and second with one out, but Columbia reliever Ryan Kiernan got out of the inning thanks to a Moll foul out. Green was doubled up at third to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Columbia's Buckmiller singled to center and stole second to move into scoring position with two outs. Hess ran the count to 3-2 before roping a single to rightcenter to drive in the winning run.
The Leopards (7-19) return to action on Friday when they host a Patriot League doubleheader with Holy Cross at noon.
