April 17, 2005
Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (www.lafayette.edu) - Lafayette closed out its second conference weekend in impressive fashion by sweeping Navy on Sunday in Patriot League baseball action. The first game proceeded to extra innings before Lafayette exploded for six runs in a 9-4 victory. In the series finale, the Leopards pumped out four runs in the sixth inning to post a 10-4 win.
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Leopards (13-19, 3-5 PL) wasted no time taking a lead. The first batter of the game, James Conrad, tripled and let the next batter, Rob Fioretti, drive him in with an opposite-field single. That lead held until the third inning when Navy tied the game. With the bases loaded an no outs, Lafayette starter Ted Gjeldum induced a double-play ball and later ended the inning with just one run across.
After Navy took a 3-1 lead in the home fourth, Lafayette tied the game up in the sixth inning in the game schedule for seven. The Leopards' second triple of the game, this time by Mike Raible, put a runner in scoring position with two outs in the sixth. Adam Bucci drove him in with a single and he later scored on another opposite field RBI-single by Fioretti.
Navy (9-24-1,4-8) threatened to end the game in the seventh. Dominic Lopez opened the frame with a double and the next batter reached on an error and then stole second to leave runners on second and third with no outs. Head coach Joe Kinney made the move to the bullpen and it paid off. John Fugett came in and gave up a fly ball to centerfield. Fioretti gunned down Lopez at home to preserve the tie, and then Fugett got a ground out to end the inning and send the game to extras.
The Leopards left no doubt about the outcome in the top of the eighth, ripping off six runs while batting around the lineup. Lafayette manufactured its first run. With one out, Raible was hit by a pitch and then stole second. Bucci singled him home to give Lafayette a 4-3 lead. With the bases loaded, Navy reliever Van Dam uncorked a wild pitch and allowed Bucci to score. Lafayette put the game away when two runs scored on Tyler Zeronda's bunt single and a throwing error on the play. The Leopards added two more runs on an Ian Law sac fly and Kevin Leasure RBI-single. Lafayette finished with 13 hits in the game.
Fugett (2-2) collected his first Patriot League victory of the season, giving up one runs on three hits in two innings of work. Gjeldum, who threw six innings, took the no-decision, allowing three runs on nine hits. Kevin Heasley (1-1) tossed just one-third of an inning in the loss.
In the second game of the twinbill, the game was tied 2-2 before Lafayette broke the game open with four runs on its way to a 10-4 triumph. Leasure (3-for-5) started off the rally by doubling to center, prompting a pitching change. The Maroon and White added three more runs in the inning on a passed ball and a run-scoring triple from Dave Drechsel and a Zeronda infield single.
Lafayette led 6-3 at the end of the sixth inning and looked to close out the game. Starter Tom Phelan completed the eighth inning and the Leopards continued to crank out runs, scoring four runs over the last three frames. Lafayette scored on a sac fly in the seventh, added two runs in the eighth and a run in the ninth to run the final to 10-4. The Leopards benefited from six Navy errors in the game.
Phelan (1-2) also collected his first Patriot League victory of the season. He gave up three runs on six hits and four strikeouts. Brian Cope threw the ninth for the Leopards. Ryan Hefner was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs (three unearned) on three hits over 5.1 innings.
Lafayette, which has won four of its last five games, next hosts Penn on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at Hilton Rahn Field at the Class of 1978 Stadium.
