May 3, 2006
Box Score
EASTON, Pa. - Trailing 2-0, Lafayette batted around its order in the third inning to score six runs and put the Leopards well on their way to a 13-4 victory over New York Tech (NYIT) on Wednesday in non-league baseball action at the Class of 1978 Stadium. Freshman Daniel Bierce (3-for-3) was the man at the plate for the Leopards, connecting for his second home run of the season while driving in five runs overall.
The Leopards spotted NYIT (24-16) a pair of runs in the first inning on RBI-singles from Mike MacMillan and David Johnson. NYIT held that lead until the third inning when Lafayette erupted for six runs.
In the inning, freshman Joe Ezekiel (3-for-4) handed Lafayette a 3-2 lead with his bases-clearing, three-run double. The next man up, Kevin Leasure, returned the favor, doubling down the line in right to score Ezekiel. With two outs in the inning, NYIT starter Julian Richards hit consecutive batters to load the bases. Bierce drove in his first two runs of the day with a single to give Lafayette a 6-2 advantage.
The Leopards (23-23) continued to pad the lead for the Lafayette pitching staff. In the fourth, back to-back doubles by classmates Ezekiel and Dustin Minore led to a run, while in the fifth Bierce's two-run home run handed the Leopards a 9-2 lead.
With the four-run advantage, Mike LeClerc-Spier continued to throw well in his second start of the season. LeClerc-Spier (2-0) made it into the sixth inning and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits for the victory. He pitched deep into the sixth inning and left with the bases loaded and two outs. Nick Tucker came on to get the final out of the inning with Lafayette leading 9-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Lafayette bats left no doubt about the outcome, pounding out four more runs. NYIT's John Ronan hit two batters in the frame, one to lead off the inning and the other to force home a run following his own fielding error. The Leopards scored another run on an error before Jeff Butler (single) and Bierce (sac fly) plated two more to leave the score at 13-3.
NYIT added a lone score in the seventh on MacMillan's RBI-single to put the final at 13-4. MacMillan finished the day 3-for-4 with three RBI to run his team-leading RBI total to 35.
For the game, Lafayette put 12 batters on base without getting a hit, using a combination of five hit batsmen, four walks and three fielding errors. Lafayette had 12 hits to NYIT's seven.
Doug Lunau made his first pitching appearance since March 22 and threw a scoreless seventh. John Fugett looked sharp for the Leopards, not allowing a hit in two innings of relief. Richards (1-3) took the loss, surrendering six runs on eight hits in 2.2 innings. Relievers Mike LaLuna and Andrew Karkoulas tossed hitless seventh and eighth innings for the Bears.
Lafayette returns to action with a four-game weekend home-and-home series with Fairleigh Dickinson. Lafayette will travel to Teaneck, N.J. for a doubleheader on Saturday and will host FDU on Senior Day on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.
