March 18, 2009
Box Score
GREENSBORO, N.C. - While Lafayette's series finale against UNC-Greensboro opened on a positive note, the Leopards ultimately fell 8-5 to the Spartans on Wednesday evening. Sophomore Rob Froio and senior Daniel Bierce combined for five of Lafayette's six hits in the loss.
Froio went 3-for-4 on the day with two runs scored and one RBI. Bierce knocked in three runs on two hits and scored one run. Two of his hits went for extra bases as he upped his team-leading double total to seven.
Rookie Ethan Perro, who was making his second start of the season, lasted 2.2 innings and gave up five runs. Classmate Jack Rems finished with 2.1 innings of work out of the bullpen and surrendered the final three runs to the Spartans. Three Lafayette relievers -- rookies Sean McGrath and Jeff Snell and senior Brian Mostek -- combined for three hitless innings.
The Leopards (7-6) began the game with a three-run first inning with Bierce providing the big hit in the form of a double to left field that scored Froio, who had singled, and Jeff Butler, who had reached base on an error. Ian McCutcheon's RBI ground out accounted for the third run.
The Spartans (4-9) scored a run in the bottom of the first and added another four runs on four hits the following inning to take a 4-3 lead. In the four-run second inning, Alex Frederick plated the first run with a sac fly. Brent O'Berry knocked a RBI single to left center and Corey Overholtzer sent home the final two runs with a RBI single up the middle.
Rems gave up a solo run in the fourth on a fielder's choice RBI from Trevor Edwards. Lafayette got back that run in the top of the fifth, though, on Froio's RBI single to right field that scored Chris Luick, who had reached on a one-out double.
The Spartans responded with two more runs in the bottom half of that inning on sacrifice hits off the bats of Frederick and Overholtzer.
The Leopards kept the pressure on, however, and scored another run in the top of the eighth after Bierce's two-out double scored Froio to cut the lead to three (8-5). Unfortunately Greensboro pitcher Blake Hassebrock, who pitched the final four innings, tossed a one-two-three ninth inning to earn the save.
Lafayette plays a 6 p.m. game tomorrow night against Liberty before opening a three-game series at Longwood beginning on Friday at 3 p.m.
