March 1, 2008
Game 1
Game 2
NORFOLK, Va. - The Lafayette baseball team (3-2) split the first two games of a three-game series against Norfolk State on Saturday afternoon. Starting pitcher Kevin Reese tossed 10 shutout innings in an eventual 1-0, 12-inning loss. Lafayette rebounded to win the second game, 5-4.
Jeremy Atkins started the second game for the Leopards and gave up just four runs in five innings of work. Norfolk State scored first, plating two runs in the second inning. Brad Stephenson led off the inning with a double to left field and scored on a Jerrod Farley single up the middle with one out. Farley came around to score the inning's second run on an Anselmo Cantu single to give Norfolk the 2-0 lead.
A three-run third inning by the Leopards followed, erasing the Spartans' lead. Freshman Rob Froio drew a one-out walk and Chris Luick sent him to third with a single. Froio scored on a wild pitch and a Tom Hayes single with two outs plated Luick to give Lafayette a 2-0 advantage. Designated hitter Joe Ezekiel knocked a single to right field for a RBI as Hayes scored the inning's third run.
Norfolk State took a 4-3 lead in the fifth after scoring two runs on three singles. Billy Canady led off with a hit and scored on a Moriba George single to left field. Bailey followed with the inning's third hit to plate Canady and a Stephenson sacrifice fly scored George for the final run.
Lafayette countered with two runs in the top of the sixth. Junior Ian McCutcheon reached base on a Spartans error and a Ryan Roberts double down the left field line scored McCutcheon to tie the game at four. Norfolk State's second error of the inning put Luick on base and scored Roberts to give the Leopards a 5-4 advantage. Tyler Chromey relieved Atkins in the sixth inning and kept the Spartans off the board for the remainder of the game, allowing just one hit and striking out two and sealing the 5-4 Lafayette win.
In the opening game of the doubleheader, Reese scattered just four hits over 10 innings and struck out three. Reliever Brad Woodfield pitched the 11th and 12th innings and surrendered the winning run in the 12th. Lafayette had just five hits in the game, including two from Ezekiel, while the Spartans managed just seven.
Lafayette put runners on base with singles in the second, third and fourth innings but stranded all three base runners. The Leopards were retired in order from the fifth through ninth innings.
Reese kept pace with Spartans' starting pitcher Joey Seal by keeping the Spartans off the scoreboard. Norfolk got three of its four hits off Reese in the first three innings and went down in order to end the ninth, forcing extra innings.
Ezekiel doubled with one out in the 10th inning but Tom Ambrosole grounded into a double play to end the scoring threat. Luick singled to open the 12th inning but was caught stealing for the inning's first out. Dan Bierce drew a one-out walk but consecutive outs by the Leopards kept the game scoreless.
Norfolk State won the game in the bottom of the 12th inning after Brad Stephenson singled with two outs and advanced to second after a walk to John Boyd. Woodfield then issued the inning's second walk to advance Stephenson to third. Stephenson then came around to score on a Ryan Wiggins single.
Ezekiel went 3-for-8 on the day with one RBI while Luick finished with two hits and scored one run.
Lafayette's three-game series against Norfolk concludes with a 1 p.m. game tomorrow.
Game Notes:
- The 5-4 win in the second game gave head coach Joe Kinney his 165th career victory, all with Lafayette.
-With his three strikeouts in the opening game, Kevin Reese now has 125 for his career and to move into sole possession of 11th-place all-time.
