Feb. 23, 2008
Game 1
Game 2
LEWISBURG, Va. - The Lafayette baseball team (1-1) began the 2008 season with a split against VMI in a doubleheader on Saturday in Lewisburg. The Leopards dropped the first game 7-1 but responded with a 7-5 victory in the second game.
The Keydets opened the second game with a run against starting pitcher Jeremy Atkins in the first inning after Shane Geisslinger led off the game with a double and came around to score on a Michael Roberts single to center. The Leopards tied the game in the top of the second after senior Tom Ambrosole hit a solo homerun to centerfield.
VMI scored its second run in the third inning to take a 2-1 edge but Lafayette again tied the game in fourth after junior shortstop Daniel Bierce drew a leadoff walk. Senior Tom Hayes followed with a single to left field that was mishandled and allowed Bierce to come around to score.
The game remained knotted at two after seven innings before the Leopards' offense erupted for five runs in the eighth. Junior Jeff Butler was hit by a pitch to open the inning and senior Ryan Roberts doubled down the right field line to send Butler to third. Freshman Rob Froio followed with another double, his first collegiate hit, to score Butler.
Chris Luick then singled and two-straight balks by Daniel Wood, a passed ball and a wild pitch allowed Luick to score. Bierce followed with a single and the third balk of the inning sent him to second. Bierce promptly stole third and scored on a sac fly by Joe Ezekiel for the inning's fifth and final run, making the score 7-2.
The Keydets scored three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning after Tanner Biagini hit a three-run homerun off relief pitcher Brian Mostek to keep it a two-run game. Mostek bounced back to pitch a perfect ninth inning as Lafayette won its first game of the season.
Atkins pitched 6.2 innings and allowed just two runs with just one of them earned. Mostek pitched the final 2.1 innings for Lafayette. Froio went 2-for-3 in the game with a team-high two RBI.
In the first game of the doubleheader, Lafayette's offense struggled to find its momentum and dropped the 7-1 decision. Luick led off the game with a single and Hayes doubled with two outs but VMI was able to escape the inning without allowing a run after Ezekiel struck out. Starting pitcher Kevin Reese kept the Keydets off the bases until two outs in the second inning but escaped the inning without allowing a run.
The Leopards threatened in the fifth inning when Ambrosole led off with a walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt. Senior Nick Tucker drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch that sent Ambrosole to third. Two-consecutive outs followed, however, to keep the game scoreless.
VMI scored the first run of the afternoon in the fifth after Jordan Ballard singled through the left side and advanced to third on an error by Luick that put Justin Hess on base. Hess and Ballard completed a double-steal, sending Ballard home for the unearned run and the 1-0 Keydets lead.
Lafayette answered with a run in the top of the next inning as Luick knocked his second single of the game into right field and came around to score on a wild pitch with two outs.
VMI regained the lead for good in the sixth inning with a leadoff homerun by A.J. Yoder. The Keydets tacked on two more runs in the seventh off reliever Brad Woodfield and scored three more against Woodfield in the bottom of the eighth to seal the 7-1 victory.
Reese pitched 6.2 innings of three-run ball with two of those runs earned. Luick went 3-for-4 in the opening game. He finished with four hits on the afternoon.
The Leopards conclude the three-game series against VMI tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.
Postgame Notes:
- Kevin Reese struck out five in his six-plus innings of work and now has 122 for his career, moving him into sole possession of 13th place on Lafayette's all-time list.
- The win in the second game snapped a six-game losing streak against the Keydets, dating back to the 2004 season.
