April 28, 2010
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
EASTON, Pa. - After 15 games on the road, the Leopards were more than ready to return home to Kamine Stadium. They had to wait a little longer to grab a win, but it was worth the 11 innings of baseball as Lafayette won 5-4 over Long Island.
A Long Island error in the 11th inning set Lafayette up with a man on third - A.J. Pisarri - and Brian Davila coming to bat with two outs. Davila caught the Blackbirds' infield by surprise as he laid down a perfect bunt single to third that sent Pisarri home with the game-winning run.
Lafayette's bullpen was the star of the game, giving up only one run in 7.2 innings, led by Jeff Snell's 3.2 innings of near-perfect ball. Snell did not give up a hit or walk a batter and the only Long Island player to reach base was Julian Castro, who reached on a dropped fly ball by left fielder Brad Weiss.
Davila went 2-for-4 with two RBI in the game while designated hitter Matt Fenster had a three-hit day, including a solo home run, his first of the spring.
Long Island (10-30) put a run across in the first off starter Jeremy Atkins thanks to a leadoff walk and RBI hit off the bat of Derek Stupski.
Back-to-back doubles by Lafayette's Justin Shepherd and Fenster quickly erased that lead and tied the game at one.
The Blackbirds added another run in the second thanks a two-out double to right field by Greg DeSantis.
Lafayette again countered with a run in its half of the second on Davila's RBI single to center that scored Bobby Fargnoli who had reached on a one-out single also to center field.
Long Island made it three straight innings with a run when Chris Kievit led off with a double and scored on Tito's single up the middle to give Long Island the 3-2 lead.
It remained 3-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh thanks in large part to shutdown pitching by Lafayette relievers Ian Dickson and Jack Rems.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and pinch runner Rob Froio on second, pinch hitter A.J. Miller knocked a ball down the right field line that allowed Froio to score the game-tying run.
Rems got into trouble in the eighth inning, loading the bases with just one man out before giving way to sidearmer Snell. Snell got Tyler Jones to line out to right field but it allowed Albert Faz to score the go-ahead run for a 4-3 ballgame.
That lead did not last long as the eighth-inning leadoff batter, Fenster, sent a 3-2 pitch over the right field fence, tying the game at four.
After two and a half innings of bonus baseball, Pisarri led off the 11th with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a wild throw by catcher Tyler Jones, who was trying to pick Pisarri off first. Pisarri took third on Froio's ground out and then scored the game winner one batter later.
Lafayette remains at home this weekend to host Navy in a four game series with doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday starting at noon on both days.
