March 28, 2009

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Both of Saturday's games were decided by a total of two runs as the Lafayette baseball team split its Patriot League season-opening doubleheader with Navy. The Leopards dropped the first game 5-4 but rebounded to win the second 2-1 behind the solid pitching performance of Corey Shea.

For fans of pitcher's duels, Saturday's games provided just that, as hits and runs were a premium for both teams. Rob Froio's combined 3-for-6 performance led the Leopards, who had 13 combined hits.

Shea made sure the Leopards' two runs in the second game were enough as he tossed 7.1 innings of one-run ball that included four strikeouts and just two walks. He left with the game tied and gave way to Jeff Snell, who pitched two-thirds of an inning and was eventually credited with the win. Classmate Ian Dickson picked up the save.

Lafayette (9-11, 2-2) jumped out to a quick, 1-0 lead in the first inning. Froio led off with a double to left center and Daniel Bierce sent him home with a double of his own down the right field line.

The score remained 1-0 as Shea kept the Mids off the scoreboard and off the base paths for the first six innings.

Navy (7-14,-1, 1-1) finally scraped a run across after Jonathan Wright singled to center, advanced to third and then scored the game-tying run on a balk.

Lafayette got that run back in the ninth inning. Ian McCutcheon reached base on a fielder's choice following a Justin Shepherd single. Bobby Fargnoli pinch-ran for McCutcheon and just did what he was sent in to--steal second. He then advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on an infield single off the bat of A.J. Miller.

Navy put two runners on in its half of the ninth inning but Dickson got Matthew Curley to ground out and secure the Leopards' 2-1 victory.

The first game featured another one-run decision but this one went the way of the Midshipmen, 5-4. Starter Zach Fritz gave up four earned runs in 5.2 innings of work and Froio went 2-for-4 with three RBI from the leadoff spot.

The Midshipmen scored the day's first run on a Jonathan Berkowitz homer to left field in the second inning. Navy tacked on two more runs the following inning on a Kendall Bolt two-RBI double down the left field line.

Lafayette took that lead away with a four-run fifth inning with the key hit coming off the bat of Froio. Brad Weiss knocked a one-out single to center field which was followed by a walk and a fielder's choice to put two runners on base. An error by the Navy shortstop allowed Weiss to score and kept the bases loaded for Froio. Froio knocked a triple to right center field to send home all three runners and give the Leopards a 4-3 edge.

Unfortunately, Navy came through with two runs in the sixth inning on Curley's double to left center that scored two runners to make it 5-4.

Shepherd opened the seventh inning with a single but three straight Lafayette ground outs ended the inning and the game.

Lafayette and Navy conclude their series tomorrow with another doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.

Postgame Notes:
- Three of Lafayette's last four losses to Navy have been decided by one run.
- Joe Kinney now has 196 career victories, all coming at Lafayette.
- Rob Froio leads Lafayette with 12 multi-hit games.