April 13, 2002

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Lafayette rallied from an early four-run deficit in the opener, then rode the strength of a six-run first inning in the nightcap as the Patriot League-leading Leopards swept a doubleheader from Army Saturday afternoon at Doubleday Field. Lafayette won by the scores of 6-5 and 6-3 to remain undefeated in conference play this season,

Army (8-17, 3-7 Patriot) raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of the first game, touching Leopard starter James Duer for four runs on just two hits. Duer walked the bases loaded before Brandon Boyce's two-run single to right gave Army a 2-0 lead. Nate Stone's successful suicide squeeze bunt scored Schuyler Williamson with Army's third run and Scott Komaromy followed with an RBI double down the right field line.

Lafayette (16-10, 6-0 Patriot) sliced the deficit in half with two runs in the second inning, scoring on an RBI single by Matt Tambellini and a sacrifice fly by Jason Moll. The Leopards tied the score in the fourth when Army starter Brian Elliott balked home one run and Russ Giglio's fielder's choice groundout delivered another.

Lafayette forged ahead with an unearned run in the sixth inning when Vince D'Angelis singled and moved to second when Craig Alexander was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved into scoring position when catcher Schuyler Williamson's errant pickoff throw bounced into center field. Adam Rosenberg's sacrifice fly scored D'Angelis with the go-ahead run.

The lead proved shortlived, though, as Army tied the score at 5-5 in the bottom of the inning on Josh Rizzo's clutch, two-out opposite field run-scoring single to right field. After Rizzo stole second base, Hank Fichtner (1-0) relieved Duer and struck out Miguel Gastellum to avert further damage.

The Leopards loaded the bases against Army reliever Josh Birenbaum (0-1) in the seventh on leadoff singles by Moll and Tye Gonser. Rodgers was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Birenbaum fanned Jason Boyd for the first out, but then plunked D'Angelis with a tailing fastball, plating the eventual winning run.

The Black Knights threatened off Leopard reliever Kevin Swords in the bottom of the seventh inning, placing runners at first and third with one out following singles by Josh Holden and Williamson. Swords recorded a big out when he induced Boyce to pop out to second base, then received a tremendous defensive effort from D'Angelis to end the game. With runners at second and third and two outs, Nate Stone hit a slow roller to third. Charging hard on the play, D'Angelis bare-handed the ball in a steady rain and fired to first base, nipping Stone to secure the win.

Lafayette wasted little time taking control of the second game, ripping Army starter Dan Cappello (1-3) for six runs on seven hits in the first inning. Craig Alexander's two-run home run to left field highlighted the onslaught as Cappello retired just one batter before being relieved by Scott Bramble with runners on first and third. Bramble stranded both runners on base by retiring Gonser and Jeff Rodgers on flyouts. In fact, Bramble, Justin Swanson and Jason Mulligan would combine to shut out the Leopards on just three hits over the final six innings, but the damage had already been done.

Army managed little against Lafayette starter Marcus Ward (4-1) until the game's late stages, placing just three runners on base entering the sixth. The Black Knights finally got on the scoreboard on Boyce's two-out single to center field in the sixth, then mustered a serious threat in their final plate appearance.

After retiring the first two batters in the seventh, Ward ran into trouble when he walked Rizzo, hit Gorham with a pitch and walked Jason Meloy. Kalkwarf lofted a fly ball down the right field line that just eluded the grasp of Leopard right fielder Adam Rosenberg, falling for a two-run double. Ward worked out of the jam, though, when Jason Boyd backhanded Williamson's hot smash to second base and fired to first for the game's final out.

One of three Lafayette players to collect two hits in the opener, D'Angelis went 3-for-4 in the nightcap. He finished the day 5-for-7 with three runs scored and one run batted in to lead Lafayette's offense. Alexander finished with two hits in the second game, while Rosenberg and Tambellini added two hits each in the first game.

Ward notched the complete-game victory for Lafayette in game two, allowing five hits and three runs. He struck out three and walked four.

Kalkwarf and Boyce recorded two hits each for Army in the second game.

With the doubleheader sweep, Lafayette remained two games in front of second-place Navy in the Patriot League standings. Army, meanwhile, fell five games off the pace in a tie for fifth place.

Army and Lafayette conclude their four-game series on Sunday at Doubleday Field. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.