April 23, 2006
Box Score
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Lafayette left 18 runners on base while dropping both games of a Sunday doubleheader with Lehigh. In game one, the Leopards trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the sixth, and gave up five runs in a 6-0 loss. In the nightcap, Lehigh pushed across two runs in the seventh to hold on for a 3-2 win.
In the opener, Lehigh struck for a run in the third inning on Joe Ercolano's two-out RBI-single. The run proved to be the only run that the Mountain Hawks needed in the game.
Lafayette (17-20, 7-7) had a solid opportunity to even the score in the top of the fourth. Tom Hayes (2-for-3) doubled to lead off the inning, and following a Kevin Leasure (2-for-3) single, Lafayette had runners on first and third with no outs. Two strikeouts by Kyle Collina and a runner cut down at second ended the rally.
Lehigh (21-22, 10-4) padded its lead with five runs in the sixth inning. Andrew Smith knocked in two runs with a single off Lafayette starter Matt Revelle. Revelle was lifted for John Fugett. Two more runs scored when Mike Bernhard singled.
Revelle (5-4) was charged with the loss after giving up four runs on eight hits while Collina (4-3) scattered seven hits and did not allow a run.
Game two was a close affair throughout. A controversial play highlighted the early innings. Lehigh's Smith reached on a throwing error by Ian Law who overthrew firstbaseman Joe Ezekiel. Ezekiel collided with Smith coming down the first base line and first base umpire Mark Wittman awarded Smith second base, citing interference. With Smith handed second base, Nick Bet came to the plate and singled him home. That run loomed large in the low-scoring affair as Lafayette starter Matt Kamine pitched his way out of the inning.
Lafayette tied the game 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning when Leasure ripped his third home run of the season.
In the fifth inning, Lafayette took a 2-1 lead. Law doubled to left and Dan Bierce came through with a single to right to put runners on first and third with one out. Hayes managed to drive in Law, but that was all Lafayette could take from the inning as Greg Mortka came in to end the inning with just one run across.
Lehigh put two runs on the board in the seventh inning. Matt McBride, the Patriot League's leading hitter, led off with a home run to left. Smith followed with a double before Kamine got the first out of the inning with a ground ball to third. Bernhard knocked in Smith for the go-ahead run. With two outs in the inning Steve Roberts came on in relief. Roberts picked off Bernhard who was running with Roberts' first movement to end the inning.
The Leopards had their final opportunity in the ninth. Law and Bierce, who both finished the game with 3-for-5 days at the plate, had back-to-back one-out singles. Hayes popped up for the second out of the inning and Lehigh went to the bullpen for Geoff Campbell. Campbell retired Tom Ambrosole on a hard-hit ball to center that was caught by Ercolano.
Mortka (2-0) captured the win, throwing four innings while allowing five hits. Kamine (3-3) was handed the loss after giving up three runs on five hits in 6.2 innings.
The two teams will finish off the four-game series on Monday beginning at 1 p.m. on Lehigh's Goodman campus.
