April 14, 2010
Box Score
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - The Leopards' road struggles continued as they fell 12-6 at Villanova on Wednesday afternoon.
Leadoff hitter Rob Froio was the only Leopard with a multi-hit outing, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and two walks. Starter Michael Massa lasted 2.1 innings and surrendered seven runs, five of which were earned, on 10 hits. Jeff Snell pitched a one-two-three eighth inning.
Lafayette dropped its fifth-straight road game to fall to 6-28 on the season.
The Leopards wasted two leadoff walks to open the game while the Wildcats took advantage of three straight hits to grab a 1-0 lead after an inning of play.
Lafayette took its first lead of the afternoon the very next inning. With two outs and no one on base, Kevin McCarville was hit by a pitch. Brian Davila followed with a single and Froio hit a triple to right field that plated both runners for the 2-1 advantage.
Unfortunately, the Wildcats put two runs across in the second thanks in part to a dropped foul ball by first baseman Adam McMahon. A string of three more straight hits made it 3-2 Villanova after two innings of play.
The scoring continued into the next inning. Matt Hall opened the inning with a single and Matt Fenster followed with the Leopards' second triple of the game to knot it at three-all. A walk to A.J. Miller and a McMahon single put the Leopards ahead 4-3 before Alex Bechta's sac fly upped it to a 5-3 Lafayette lead. Still with only out, Davila's ground out to second base allowed McMahon to score the inning's fourth run.
The scoring also continued for Villanova, however, and the Wildcats cut Lafayette's lead to one (6-5) with a six-run third inning. With two runs already in and only one out, head coach Joe Kinney called on Ian Dickson. Dickson hit the first batter he faced to load the bases and Matt Szczur knocked a three-run triple to right field. A passed ball made it 9-3 Villanova before Dickson recorded the inning's final out.
In the fifth, Dickson was called for a balk that allowed a run to score and Chris Johnson came through with a two-out RBI through the left side for an 11-6 ballgame.
A seventh-inning sac fly off the bat of Johnson made it 12-6, which was the score as the Leopards came to bat in the ninth. Lafayette put its first two runners on base to open the inning but Brad Weiss ground into a double play to end the game.
The Leopards return to Patriot League action this weekend with four games at Holy Cross. Doubleheaders are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday with a noon first pitch on both days.
