April 12, 2003
Box Score Game 1
Box Score Game 2
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Marcus Ward fired a five-hit shutout to help Lafayette bounce back for a Saturday split with Army in Patriot League baseball action. The Leopards cranked out 13 hits and six of their seven runs in the first two innings to cruise to a 7-0 win in game two. Game one went to extra innings, tied at 3-3. After both teams scored in the eighth, Army's run in the ninth went unanswered for the 5-4 win.
In game one, Lafayette took and early 1-0 lead in the second. Junior Jeff Rodgers drove a two-strike pitch over the centerfielder's head for a stand-up double that plated Matt Tambellini. In the third inning, Lafayette added to its advantage when Adam Rosenberg led off with solo home run to right, his first of the season.
Rosenberg came through again in the home fourth, connecting for an infield single with the bases loaded that scored Rodgers (2-for-4) and gave Lafayette a 3-0 lead.
Army (6-16-1, 3-7) knotted the score at 3-3 in the top of the fifth. Josh Holden, Nate Stone and Wes Bumgardner all drove in runs with singles off Lafayette starter James Duer. Duer threw six innings, striking out seven while allowing three runs on eight hits in the no decision.
The Leopards (9-10, 6-3) had a chance to win the game in the last of the seventh. Lafayette loaded the bases with two outs. Eric Vacca battled back from a 0-2 count before grounding out to shortstop to end the inning.
In the visitor eighth inning, Schuyler Williamson belted his fourth home run of the season, a shot to right off Lafayette reliever Drew Moyer. The Black Knights led 4-3.
The Leopards weren't quite finished. Lafayette put runners on first and second after singles by Russ Giglio and Rob Fioretti. The next batter Rosenberg tried to advance them on a bunt. The Army catcher attempted to get the runner at third, but Army third baseman Jeremy Stache missed the throw for the easy putout. The error allowed Giglio to score and tie the game. Stache made a quick recovery on the same play and cut down Fioretti at the plate trying to score the winning run. The inning continued as Lafayette loaded the bases when Boyd was hit by a pitch and Craig Alexander drew a walk. Army reliever Dan Pluff killed the rally, striking out pinch hitter Sean Lesser and getting Tambellini to ground out.
Army was back at it in the ninth. Rob Davis got the inning going with a single up the middle, and then stole second. After a strikeout left the Black Knights with two outs, Holden connected with a ball to center to score Davis. Hank Fichtner came on in relief of Moyer and got the final out of the inning.
The Leopards went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth to leave the final at 5-4.
Pluff (1-2) was credited with the win, going one and two-thirds innings. He struck out three and did not give up a hit. Moyer was hit with the loss, throwing two and two-thirds innings. He gave up two runs on three hits and four strikeouts.
Game two was all Lafayette from start to finish, as the Leopards gave Ward a six-run lead to work with. Ward needed just one of those runs, as the Lafayette starter fanned eight and allowed just five hits in the 7-0 win.
The Leopards scored what would be the winning run in their first time at bat. With two outs in the inning, Boyd jacked a ball to right that cleared the fence.
In the Lafayette second, Army starter Josh Birenbaum took little time getting the first two Lafayette outs. The Leopard bats started to get hot, however, as back-to-back singles and a walk left the bases loaded with Alexander coming to the plate. The Leopards' cleanup hitter scorched a ball to center that scored two. After an Army pitching change and a walk, the Leopards faced the same situation, bases loaded and two outs. Tambellini kept the rally going with his only hit of the game, a two-run single that gave Lafayette a 6-0 lead.
The game took a feisty turn in the fourth inning. With Boyd at the plate, Army reliever Wade Greenlee threw his first offering to Boyd hard above his head, prompting the home plate umpire to warn both dugouts about throwing at batters. Later in the count, Greenlee hit Boyd with a pitch, but was not ejected. For the afternoon, Boyd was hit with three pitches, two of which put him on base. He did manage to go 3-for-6 with a home run for the day.
Lafayette tacked on another run in the fifth following three straight singles to lead off the inning and load the bases. Bucci hit into a doubleplay, but the Leopards' seventh run of the game scored.
Ward faced 10 batters in the final three innings in his first shutout of the season. Birenbaum was credited with the loss, going one and two-thirds innings. He allowed five runs on five hits and three walks.
The two teams will play another doubleheader on Sunday beginning at noon.
