May 7, 2008
Box Score
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - Despite leading 6-1 after five innings, the Lafayette baseball team could not hold on for the win and dropped an 8-7 decision to Rider in the team's final game of the season. The Leopards' offense scored at least one run in the first four innings but the bullpen gave up seven runs en route to the loss.
Six Lafayette batters had multiple hits, led by senior Tom Hayes' 3-for-5 performance. Freshman Corey Shea, making his eighth start of the season, allowed four runs and got a no-decision. Senior Steve Roberts gave up the final two Rider runs and suffered the loss, his first of the season.
Lafayette (25-23) got the scoring started early. In the top of the first, Daniel Bierce hit a one-out double to left center and advanced to third on an infield hit by Hayes. First baseman Joe Ezekiel came through with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Bierce and giving Lafayette the 1-0 lead.
The Leopards increased their lead to 3-0 the following inning. A.J. Pisarri led off with a single, advanced to third on an error by Rider's catcher and scored on Nick Tucker's fly out to right field. Senior Ryan Roberts followed Tucker's at bat with a single and came around to score Lafayette's third run on Bierce's second hit of the game.
The Broncs got one of those runs back in the bottom of the second. David Hayes tripled to right center and Mo Williams hit a RBI single to left center to make it 3-1.
In the top of the third, Ezekiel hit a solo homer, his sixth home run of the season and third in the last five games, to make it 4-1. The Leopards scored their fifth and sixth runs in the fourth inning, with the first run coming on Rob Froio's RBI double to right field. Froio later came around to score on Hayes' single to third base to give Lafayette a 6-1 advantage.
Shea walked the first two batters to leadoff the sixth inning and Steve Galella hit a two-RBI double to left center to make it a 6-3 ballgame. Head coach Joe Kinney went to his bullpen and brought in Jason Morytko, who gave up a double to Hayes to put runners on second and third with no one out. Williams hit a sac fly to right field and John Ralston's RBI bunt score Hayes to make the score 6-5.
Rider (25-21) took an 8-6 lead with three more runs in the seventh. With one runner on, Roberts relieved Morytko and gave up a game-tying RBI single to Hayes. A passed ball allowed the go-ahead run to score and Ralston knocked a RBI single to right center to give his team the two-run lead (8-6).
The Leopards cut that lead to one in the top of the eighth. Tucker led off with a double, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Roberts' infield ground out to bring the Leopards within one (8-7). A Hayes infield single loaded the bases with two outs but Ezekiel struck out to end the inning.
Rider pitcher James Hayes gave up a walk to Justin Shepherd in the ninth and a two-out single to Tucker but Roberts struck out looking to end the game.
