April 14, 2002
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
WEST POINT, N.Y. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Lafayette baseball team improved to 8-0 in Patriot League play with a Sunday sweep of Army. In game one senior Tye Gonser went 4-for-4 with two doubles and sophomore Jason Boyd drove in four runs to give Lafayette a 9-5 victory. In the nightcap, Lafayette cranked out 17 hits for 14 runs, including a seven-run sixth inning to roll to a 14-2 victory and close out the series sweep.
Lafayette (18-10, 8-0 Patriot League) got off to a fast offensive start in game one on Sunday, scoring all nine of its runs over the first four innings. Gonser, who led off the game with a double, later scored on a sac fly to give Lafayette a 1-0 lead in the first. Lafayette jumped out to a 5-0 advantage thanks to a four-run second inning. Gonser drove in two runs with a single to center. Boyd and fellow sophomore Jeff Rodgers each plated a run in the inning.
Lafayette scored the eventual game-winning run in the third inning when sophomore Craig Alexander led off with a home run, his second of the series. The Leopards cranked out three more runs in the top of the fourth. Gonser drove in senior Jason Moll after a lead-off single. Boyd plated the final two runs of the inning with a single to right that gave Lafayette a 9-0 lead.
Army finally got to Lafayette lefty Matt Tambellini who had cruised through the first three innings while allowing four hits. The Black Knights struck for two runs in the bottom of the fourth. With two runners in scoring position, Nate Stone singled to bring in the first run. Army made it 9-2 when it scored on a double-play ball.
Tambellini continued on into the bottom of the sixth inning. He started the inning with a walk, struck out a batter, and then gave up an RBI-single to Jason Meloy and another single to Josh Rizzo. Head coach Joe Kinney made his move to the bullpen bringing in Donald Smith with one out and the bases loaded. Kyle Kalkwarf smacked a single to center field that scored two runs. Smith ended the rally by inducing a 5-4-3 double play.
In the Army seventh, Smith sent the Black Knights down in order to end the game. Smith threw 1.2 innings of one-hit baseball. Tambellini (2-1) got the win, allowing five runs (three earned) on nine hits and two walks while striking out four. Justin Kashner took the loss, going three innings while allowing eight runs on nine hits.
Game two was witness to another strong pitching performance from junior Joe Saporetti. The Leopards scored three runs in the first inning and that would prove to be enough offense for the Leopards' ace, as he allowed only five hits in a 14-2 victory.
In the first inning, Boyd doubled in the first run. He then stole third and came home on an errant throw by the catcher. Freshman Adam Bucci, who went 4-for-4 in the game, singled through the right side to give Lafayette a 3-2 lead.
Saporetti held Army to two hits in the first three innings, but the Black Knights manufactured a run to get on the scoreboard in the fourth inning. Schuyler Williamson led off with an infield single. He promptly stole second and moved third on a groundout. Walker Gorham's sac fly to center made it 3-1.
Army cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Rizzo singled up the middle to bring home Josh Holden.
Lafayette broke the game open with a seven-run sixth inning. Eleven Lafayette batters came to the plate during the rally. Bucci and Tambellini combined for four of the Leopards' eight hits in the inning and were two of the five different batters who drove in runs. The Leopards also benefited from two Army errors that helped Lafayette build its 10-2 lead.
The Leopards tacked on four more runs in the seventh. Senior Vince' D'Angelis drove home two runs with a single to center to raise his season average to a Patriot League-leading .415. Bucci and Rodgers also belted out RBI-singles.
Saporetti improved to 5-2 with the win. He struck out three and walked one while allowing two runs on five hits. Wes Bumgardner threw five innings in the loss. He surrendered seven runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out three.
Lafayette travels to Monmouth on Tuesday before returning home to host St. Peter's on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at Metzgar Field.
