April 19, 2008
Game 1
Game 2
WORCESTER, Mass. - The Lafayette offense could score only two runs against Holy Cross as the Leopards dropped 2-1 and 6-1 decisions against the Crusaders in Patriot League baseball action. Lafayette had just two hits in game one, and despite matching Holy Cross with seven hits in the second game, could not put enough runs on the board for a win.
Game one starter Kevin Reese pitched seven innings and gave up just two runs on six hits. He walked only two batters while striking out two. Freshman Rob Froio and junior Joe Ezekiel recorded the lone hits for the Leopards (18-16, 6-8).
The game was scoreless until the Crusaders scored their only two runs of the contest in the bottom of the third inning. Billy Cupelo singled to right field and John Sills doubled to left field to put runners on the corners with one out. Matt Perry followed with a RBI double to left center, scoring both Cupelo and Sills for the 2-0 Holy Cross lead.
Lafayette cut the lead to one in the top of the fifth inning. Ezekiel singled to first with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Pinch hitter Brad Weiss reached on an error by the centerfielder and Ezekiel scored on the play to make it a 2-1 ballgame.
Reese gave up just three hits after the third inning but Holy Cross starter Matt Shapiro matched him, as he did not allow a baserunner until two outs in the seventh when Justin Shepherd walked. Shapiro got Ezekiel to fly out to left field, however, for the final out of the game.
Sophomore Jeremy Atkins pitched the second game of the doubleheader for the Leopards. Atkins pitched six innings and surrendered five runs on five hits to take the loss and fall to 3-3 on the season. Ryan Roberts went 2-for-2 for Lafayette, while catcher Tom Ambrosole had a hit and scored the team's only run.
Holy Cross (17-20, 9-5) took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Perry singled with one out and Brendan Akashian was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Jake Gorman singled to center to score Perry and Gil Gomez knocked a two-RBI triple to right center for a 3-0 Crusaders lead.
Lafayette scored one run in the top half of the third. With two outs, Ambrosole walked and Jeff Butler singled to center. An error by the Holy Cross second baseman on a ball hit by Matt Hall allowed Ambrosole to come home and make the score 3-1.
Atkins kept the Crusaders off the scoreboard until the seventh when Gomez led off the inning with a double. Tim Hughes followed with a single to plate Gomez. Joe Kinney then called on his bullpen, bringing in senior Jason Morytko. Cupelo greeted Morytko with a single and Brendan McCrea's single to left field scored two more runs for a 6-1 Holy Cross advantage. Morytko settled down after that and recorded the final three outs of the inning without allowing another run.
Ryan Hanna pitched the bottom of the eighth and a one-out double play erased a Holy Cross scoring opportunity, giving the Leopards one last chance in the top of the ninth. Ezekiel led off with a single and Roberts' one-out single put two runners on base but Froio struck out looking and Daniel Bierce flied out to right field for the final out of the game.
Lafayette and Holy Cross conclude their series with a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 12 p.m.
Postgame Notes:
- Lafayette is now 35-26 all-time series against Holy Cross
- Senior co-captain Tom Hayes has now played in 154 career games, tying him with Mark Rowland '90 for ninth all-time.
- Kevin Reese has now pitched 211.2 innings in his career, moving him into sole possession of seventh place on Lafayette's all-time list.
- Rob Froio extended his hit streak to nine games with his single in the first game but saw that streak snapped in the second game after going 0-for-4.
