March 16, 2008
Box Score
BRADENTON, Fla. - Lafayette baseball continued its four-game Florida swing on Sunday, splitting a doubleheader with Harvard. In the opener, Leopards' starter Jeremy Atkins threw six strong innings, but left with a no-decision in a 4-1 loss. In the second game, Lafayette cranked out 13 runs, including a two-run home run by Joe Ezekiel, en route to a 13-2 win.
Ezekiel's first home run of the season followed a one-out RBI-triple from freshman Rob Froio. Froio came plateward via Chris Luick's RBI-single and Ezekiel's blast gave Lafayette all the offense it would need.
Lafayette (6-4) broke the game open with eight runs in the fifth inning. Justin Shepherd doubled in a pair, as did Ian McCutcheon with a one-out single. Ryan Roberts (single) and Froio (fielder's choice) also plated runs as Lafayette pulled away for the 13-2 victory.
For the game, Ezekiel (3), Froio (2), Shepherd (2) and McCutcheon (2) all drove in two or more runs.
Zach Fritz collected his first victory of the season after making two relief appearances earlier on in the season. The freshman struck out three on four hits and did not walk a batter over five innings. Dan Zailskas was the loser, giving up four runs on five hits in three innings.
Harvard (1-6) won the first game behind a seven-inning pitching performance from Brad Unger. Unger surrendered just one run on seven hits while striking out six in a 4-1 decision.
The Leopards got on the board first, pushing across a run in the second. Tom Ambrosole reached on a single and gave Lafayette the early 1-0 lead when Shepherd tripled him in.
Lafayette starter Jeremy Atkins held Harvard scoreless until the sixth inning. Matt Vance's sacrifice fly scored Taylor Meehan to knot the game at 1-1. Atkins finished the sixth inning, having allowed one run on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
In the top of the sixth, Harvard took the lead off Lafayette reliever Jason Morytko. Morytko, a top reliever who was making his first appearance of the season after undergoing knee surgery in the offseason, gave up a RBI-double to Chris Rouches.
The first two batters of the Harvard eighth reached safely and Tom Stack-Babich's two-run homer ran the final to 4-1.
Morytko (0-1) was handed the loss, going one complete inning in which he surrendered three runs on four hits. Steve Roberts pitched the remainder of the eighth after coming on in relief of Morytko after Stack-Babich's home run. He gave way to freshman Ben Hertz who got the final two outs of the ninth inning in his first collegiate appearance.
Lafayette returns to action on Monday, playing Miami-Ohio at 2 p.m. The Leopards Spring Break trip ends on Tuesday at 10 a.m. when Lafayette closes with Saint Louis out of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
