March 19, 2010
Box Score
DALLAS, Texas - The Lafayette pitching staff gave up 30 runs in its Friday doubleheader at Dallas Baptist and could not muster enough offense to come up with a win in either game.
The Leopards (0-9) narrowly lost the first game 14-13 before falling 16-4 in the nightcap. A.J. Pisarri went 5-for-11 while Rob Froio and Alex Bechta each combined for four hits apiece. Bechta also drove in a team-high four runs against the Patriots (12-7).
Lafayette opened the game on a promising note, scoring four runs before Dallas Baptist even came to the plate. Matt Fenster and Bechta knocked in two runs apiece, both with two outs.
The Patriots put up a two-spot against starter Jeremy Atkins but left the bases loaded to preserve Lafayette's 4-2 lead.
Unfortunately, Dallas Baptist exploded for an 11-run second inning thanks to 10 hits. Right fielder Ryan Enos hit a three-run homer to knock Atkins out of the game and reliever Jeff Snell surrendered a two-run shot that made it 13-4.
The Leopards put two runs across in the third, one complement of an Adam McMahon solo homer, but Dallas Baptist added another run, as well, for a 14-6 ballgame.
Lafayette was not ready to call it a day, however, as Bechta and A.J. Miller led off the sixth with back-to-back home runs. Pisarri and pinch hitter Brad Hopek followed with RBI singles to cut the Patriots' lead to five (14-9).
The Leopards nearly capped off a monumental comeback by adding two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to bring the Leopards within one (14-13), but could not put up any more runs, suffering the final 14-13 loss.
In the second game, the Patriots used five runs in the first inning to counter the two the Leopards had put up to open the game. Starter Corey Shea gave up those five runs on three hits, including an Austin Elkins two-out, three-run homer to left field that capped off the first inning scoring.
It remained 5-2 until the fourth. Lafayette made it 5-3 on Miller's RBI double to right center. Unfortunately, Shea surrendered another three-run home run to Jason Krizan for an 8-3 Dallas Baptist lead.
Shea gave up yet another three-run homer the very next inning, this one to Austin Knight that made it 11-3 and forced Joe Kinney to call on sophomore reliever Sean McGrath. McGrath got three straight fly outs to end the inning.
The Patriots upped their lead to 14-3 on a seventh-inning sac fly in addition to a two-RBI double off reliever Kevin Casey. Ian Dickson gave up two sac flies in the eighth for a 16-3 Dallas Baptist advantage.
Down to the final out, Matt Hall drove in a run in the ninth for a 16-4 score but two runners were left stranded to end the game.
Lafayette hosts Wagner on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in its first home game at Kamine Stadium this season.
Postgame Notes:
- Matt Hall extended his hit streak to 16 games, dating back to May 6 of last season. Entering the weekend, that stretch was tied for the 16th longest streak in the nation.
- The Leopards' 13 runs in the first game were the most they've scored this season.
