April 26, 2006
Box Score
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - In the Leopards' final mid-week game before a crucial Patriot League weekend series at Holy Cross, the offense could not get going, managing three hits in an 8-2 loss at Rutgers on Wednesday in non-league baseball action.
Lafayette (18-22) held a brief lead to start the game. Ian Law, who is making his late-season push for All-Patriot League status, led off the game with a double. Lafayette manufactured a run, as Daniel Bierce bunted him to third. No. 3 hitter Kevin Leasure drove in Law with a groundout to the right side.
The lead held until the second inning when Rutgers scored four runs and took the lead for good. Jason Downey doubled in a run and Jeff Grose and Mike Bionde both singled in runs off starter Steve Roberts. Rutgers ran its lead to 4-1 when Todd Frazier plated Grose on a sac fly.
Rutgers (19-18-1) scored a lone run in the third (sac fly) and fourth inning off freshman Mike LeClerc-Spier. In the fourth, Bionde stole home to give the Scarlet Knights a 6-1 lead.
The Leopards got a run back in the fifth. Jeff Butler reached on an error and fellow freshman Chris Luick moved him into scoring position. A walk to Dustin Minore put Butler on third when Ryan Roberts drove him in with a sac fly.
Rutgers scored single runs in the sixth and seventh to run the final to 8-2.
Steve Roberts (2-4) was charged with the loss after giving up four runs on five hits in two innings. Jason Morytko threw the final 1.2 innings for Lafayette and struck out three while surrendering just one hit. Rutgers starter Jim Jansen (1-0) threw seven innings and allowed two runs on two hits.
Lafayette travels to Holy Cross for a four-game series that will determine if Lafayette makes the three-team field in the Patriot League Tournament. Lafayette is currently tied with Army for third place in the conference standings, two games behind second-place Bucknell and three games behind Lehigh. Navy plays at Bucknell and Lehigh plays at Army in the other weekend action. First pitch for Lafayette at Holy Cross is noon on Saturday and Sunday.
