Feb. 27, 2010
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
LEXINGTON, Va. - After waiting a day to open their 2010 season, the Leopards did not exactly get the start they were hoping for, dropping both games of a doubleheader against VMI.
Lafayette (0-2) dropped a 16-8 decision in the opening game before falling 14-2 in the finale.
VMI (5-0) finished with eight home runs off of the Leopards' pitchers with three coming off the bat of Sam Roberts.
Matt Hall went 5-for-6 on the day with five RBI to lead Lafayette at the plate.
Lafayette scored two quick runs to open the first game thanks to RBI singles off the bats of Justin Shepherd and Brad Weiss.
Unfortunately, Lafayette starter Zach Fritz got knocked around in the bottom half of the inning, surrendering seven runs in only two-thirds of an inning. The big blow came on a Jacob Morley three-run homer to left center.
Lafayette scored a solo run in the third on a Hall single but the Keydets put single runs across the plate in the second and third innings off reliever John Gentile.
A four-run bottom of the fourth made it 13-3 VMI. Lafayette added a run in the fifth on Shepherd's RBI single but the Keydets countered three runs to up their lead to 16-4.
The Leopards weren't done yet, though, as a four-run sixth inning cut VMI's lead in half (16-8). Brian Davila plated the first two runs on a single up the middle and Rob Froio knocked a single through the right side to send home another run. Alex Bechta grounded out to second to allow Davila to score the fourth run of the inning.
VMI reliever John Garrett pitched a one-two-three seventh to close out the 16-8 win.
The Keydets carried the momentum through to the second game as they added five more homers in the 14-2 win. Three Lafayette pitchers combined to give up 11 earned runs, including eight off of starter Ethan Perro, who lasted 3.2 innings.
Perro gave up nine runs, eight of which were earned, before giving way to rookie Kevin Casey. Casey pitched 2.1 innings and surrendered three more runs. Sean McGrath tossed the final two innings and did not allow an earned run while striking out four batter.
Hall added three more hits in the second game and drove in Lafayette's only two runs.
They Keydets erupted for five runs in the second inning thanks in part to five hits and a Lafayette error. The big hit came off the bat of Rob Dickinson, who knocked a two-run home run to right field.
Three more VMI homers resulted in a four-run fourth inning. One of those homers again came off the bat of Roberts, who added a two-run blast the following inning to make it 11-0.
The Leopards were held off the scoreboard until the sixth inning. Davila opened the inning with a walk, took second on Froio's single and went to third on an A.J. Pisarri groundout to the pitcher. Hall followed with a two-run single to left field and an 11-2 score.
The Keydets added a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth, both of which were unearned, to put the game out of reach.
Lafayette is back on the road Wednesday with a 3 p.m. game at La Salle.
