March 11, 2008
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Six Lafayette pitchers combined to shutout La Salle in an 11-0 Leopard victory in Philadelphia. The Leopards scored multiple runs in five innings, including a three-run seventh, en route to their third-straight victory. The Explorers managed just six hits off of Lafayette pitching.
Kevin Reese started for Lafayette (5-2) and pitched two scoreless innings to earn his first victory of the spring. Jeremy Atkins and Zach Fritz also pitched two scoreless innings. Brian Mostek struck out two of three La Salle batters in the bottom of the ninth to seal the victory for the Leopards.
Lafayette pitchers put multiple runners on base in only one inning and did not allow multiple hits in any inning. One of the only chances the Explorers had to score came in the bottom for the fourth when Atkins gave up a walk and a double but the sophomore responded by striking out Chris Umstead to end the inning.
Matt Hall and Tom Ambrosole both went 3-for-4 on the day. Ambrosole hit his second homerun of the season and finished with four RBI and two runs scored. Freshman Rob Froio also had multiple RBI, knocking in two runs.
Lafayette scored two runs in back-to-back innings, beginning with two unearned runs in the third. An error by La Salle's leftfielder put Froio on base to open the inning. Froio stole second and a Chris Luick walk to put two runners on base. A balk by starting pitcher Jamie Cowan advanced both runners and a Dan Bierce groundout scored Froio. Tom Hayes then ground out to third, plating Luick for the inning's second unearned run.
Hall hit a lead-off single in the fourth and advanced to second on another La Salle error and Ambrosole doubled to left center to score Hall. Jeff Butler drew a one-out walk and a sac bunt by Ryan Roberts advanced both runners. Ambrosole scored on a Froio ground out for the inning's second run and 4-0 Lafayette lead.
In the sixth inning, Hall again led off with a single and promptly stole second. He then stole third with one out and scored on a Froio bunt single to make the score 5-0. Luick's two-out single scored Butler for the inning's final run.
Ambrosole's homerun accounted for all three Lafayette runs in the seventh inning. Joe Ezekiel and Hall hit back-to-back one-out singles before Ambrosole belted his second homerun of the season.
The Leopards scored their final two runs in the top of the ninth inning. Nick Tucker, Ian McCutcheon and Butler hit consecutive one-out singles for the inning's first run and a Roberts ground out plated McCutcheon to make the score 11-0.
The Leopards will travel Bradenton, Fla. from March 15-18. Lafayette will play games against Illinois, Harvard, Miami-Ohio and St. Louis over that stretch, beginning with a 10 a.m. game against Illinois on March 15.
Postgame Notes:
- Lafayette improved to 5-1 against right hand starters and won by five or more runs for the first time this season.
- Luick had one hit, extending his hit streak to seven-straight games. Froio also extended his hit streak to six-straight.
- The 11 runs scored tied a season-high (the Leopards also scored 11 runs against VMI).
