April 13, 2009

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EASTON, Pa. - With one out, two runners on base and Lafayette trailing 7-6 in the eighth inning, A.J. Pisarri came to the plate and knocked a go-ahead, three-run homer to right field to give his squad the 9-8 lead over Lehigh. Rookie Jeff Snell pitched a one-two-three ninth inning to clinch the win as the Leopards took three of four from the Mountain Hawks.

Pisarri finished the day 3-for-5 with a career-high six RBI. A.J. Miller also had three hits and drove in two runs, including a RBI double in the eighth that made the score 7-6.

Lafayette (17-16, 7-5) used five pitchers in the win as starter Ryan Hanna got knocked out of the game in the first inning after giving up four runs on five hits. Snell pitched the final three innings and gave up just one hit while striking out four batters to pick up his team-high fourth victory of the season.

Lehigh (9-26-1, 3-7) jumped out to the early 5-0 lead in the first inning. The Mountain Hawks had six hits in the inning with the big blow coming off the bat of Jim McConlogue, who belted a two-out, two-run home run to left field to score the fourth and fifth runs.

In the third inning, Pisarri broke up the shutout with a RBI single up the middle that scored Rob Froio.

Both teams scored runs in their halves of the fifth inning. Lehigh's came on Kevin Mihalik's RBI single to center field while Pisarri's ground out scored Froio in the home half of the inning to make the score 6-2.

The Leopards made it a one-run game with three runs in the sixth inning. Miller doubled to left center to score pinch runner Bobby Fargnoli. An error allowed Justin Shepherd to score the second run and Pisarri knocked yet another RBI single to center field to score Miller.

Lehigh got back two of those runs the following inning off rookie reliever Jack Rems. Mark Bernhard led off with a single and stole second. Logan Marshall then hit the Mountain Hawks' second homer of the game to right field for an 8-5 Lehigh lead.

That three-run lead was not safe, however. In the bottom of the eighth, Shepherd drew a lead-off walk and Miller doubled to right center to score the first run of the inning and bring the Leopards within two runs (8-6).

Ken Longernecker came in from the bullpen and proceeded to walk Alex Bechta, putting two runners on base for Pisarri, who deposited the Longernecker offering over the right field fence and gave Lafayette its first lead of the afternoon, 9-8.

Snell retired Lehigh in order in the ninth--including two strikeouts--as the Leopards took the series from the Mountain Hawks and improved to 7-5 in league play.

The Leopards are back in action on Wednesday afternoon when they host Villanova at 3:30 p.m.

Postgame Notes:
- The Leopards have won 12 of its last 16 games against Lehigh and have not lost a series to their archrival since 2006.
- Senior shortstop Daniel Bierce had now has 50 career stolen bases, tying him for sixth all-time. He has also played in 174 career games, the most all-time in Lafayette history.
- A.J. Pisarri's six RBI were tied for the most by a Lafayette player this season (Rob Froio--vs. UMES on March 7)