April 28, 2004
Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Lafayette closed out the Patriot League regular season portion of its slate with a pair of losses at Lehigh on Wednesday at Goodman Field. Lafayette gave up a first-inning grand slam and lost the opener 7-3, and a two-run Lafayette rally in the eight inning of the second game tied the score, but Lehigh scored in the bottom of the inning to win 6-4.
In the first inning of game one, Jesse Novalis cranked out a grand slam off Lafayette starter Tom Soldan (4-3) to give Lehigh a 4-0 lead. The Mountain Hawks (24-20, 9-11) padded their lead with three more runs in the sixth inning. Jeff Baker, Matt McBride and Eric Hoffman (double) all had run-scoring hits in the frame.
The Leopards (19-21, 11-9) did not go down without a fight and scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning. Lafayette collected three straight singles by Adam Bucci, Frank Cortazar and Matt Skellan to load the bases with no outs. Ian Law drew a walk to make it 7-1. A one-out single by lead-off hitter Jeff Rodgers plated two runs, but the next batter, Rob Fioretti, hit into a double play to end the game.
Lehigh starter Jack Muscalus, who was able to pitch for the second time in the four-game series thanks to rainouts on Sunday and Monday and Lehigh's non-conference game vs. Wagner on Tuesday, got the win. Muscalus (7-3) threw all seven innings and allowed three runs on six hits while striking out seven.
Soldan, who threw five and a third innings, allowed seven runs on nine hits in the loss. Don Smith got the final two outs of the Lehigh sixth and did not allow a run.
In the second game, Lafayette tied the game twice, including the final time in the top of the eighth, but gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth to drop a 6-4 decision.
Lafayette struck first in the nine-inning nightcap. Skellan's lead-off double started the one-run third inning. He moved to third on a wild pitch and Eric Vacca drove him in with the first of his two sacrifice flies in the game.
The Leopards' lead was short-lived, however. Novalis' infield single tied the game in the bottom of the frame. The Mountain Hawks loaded the bases with one out in the inning. A hot grounder to first resulted in the second run of the inning. Bucci fielded the ball cleanly but his throw was low and got away from Skellan to give Lehigh a 2-1 lead. Lafayette starter Paul Fischetti ended the inning with the bases loaded on a pop-up and a fly out.
In the fifth inning, Lafayette tied the game at 2-2. Skellan's one-out bunt single and a subsequent single by Law put runners on first and third. Vacca came through again with a sac fly to drive in his 14th run of the season.
Lehigh immediately took the run back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Novalis' 28th career home run, a solo shot to right, gave Lehigh a 3-2 lead.
Fischetti ran into some trouble in the sixth inning. He hit the first batter and then threw the ball away to first base after fielding a bunt to leave runners on first and third with no outs. Lafayette head coach Joe Kinney went to the bullpen and brought in Matt Revelle. Revelle retired the first hitter he faced. The next batter, McBride, hit a bloop single to center that scored a run. Revelle closed out the inning with just one across and Lehigh leading 4-2.
The eighth inning was the decisive one. In the top of the inning, Vacca and Rodgers kept hope alive with singles to put runners of first and second. Kinney started the runners and Vacca and pinch runner Ted Kramer swiped second and third. Fioretti drew a walk to load the bases. Jason Boyd put the ball in play to first base and the Lehigh defense came home with the throw to retire Vacca. The next batter, Adam Rosenberg came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. The Leopards' cleanup hitter came through by ripping a single to right field to score two runs and tie the game at 4-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, Baker used an infield single to get aboard. Kinney went to Hank Fichtner out of the bullpen. Eric Hoffman attempted to sacrifice Baker to second. Law fielded the ball and threw to second to try to cut down Baker. The throw was wide, leaving runners on first and third with no outs. John Zazewski knocked in what ended up as the game-winning run with his single to center. Lehigh added an insurance run when Forest Doane plated a run with a sac bunt.
Lafayette managed one hit in its final at-bat of the game, a one-out single by Skellan, but could not capitalize. Fichtner was charged with the loss after giving up one run on one hit in the eighth. Matt Nusinov (3-0) threw the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to get the win. Joel Hockman came on in the ninth to garner a save.
Entering the day, Lehigh needed to win both games to slide into the third spot in the Patriot League Tournament field ahead of Holy Cross. Lafayette had already clinched the No. 2 slot with two wins over Lehigh on Saturday. No 1 seed Army will host the Patriot League Tournament on May 8-9.
Lafayette returns to action on Saturday when the Leopards travel to New York Tech as part of a four-game home-and-home weekend series. On Sunday, the Lafayette seniors will be honored when the Leopards host New York Tech at noon at the Class of 1978 Stadium.
