Feb. 27, 2011
Box Score
DAVIDSON, N.C. - The third and final game of the Lafayette baseball team's season-opening trip to Davidson, N.C. was a microcosm of the weekend as a whole. Just as the Leopards - playing on an actual diamond for the first time this year - improved throughout the trio of games in the Tar Heel State, the Maroon and White battled back from a 5-0 first-inning deficit against host Davidson in Sunday's finale before coming up just short in a 5-4 loss.
With the loss, the Leopards drop to 0-3. Davidson improves to 5-4 on the season.
Senior catcher A.J. Miller led Lafayette at the plate, batting 2-for-4 with a home run and three runs batted in. Miller's big day caps a strong opening weekend in which he hit .364 (4-for-11) with six RBI. Senior centerfielder Rob Froio reached base four times, slapping a pair of infield hits and drawing two walks. Senior outfielder Alex Bechta also garnered two hits in the losing effort.
Taking the hill for Lafayette was junior right-hander John Gentile. Gentile (0-1) allowed five earned runs on six hits in 5+ innings of work. He struck out four batters, walked four and hit two. The Leopards' 6-2 hurler settled down after a five-run first inning, allowed just two hits and two walks after the opening frame.
Junior southpaw Sean McGrath relieved Gentile and immediately stranded two runners in scoring position en route to a scoreless outing. Junior right-hander Jeff Snell - who also stranded a pair of inherited runners - closed out the game with two scoreless innings to facilitate the Lafayette comeback attempt.
After the Wildcats' five-run first inning, Miller immediately closed the gap with a leadoff home run in the top of the second stanza. Miller led the Leopards with six home runs in 2010.
As Gentile continued to post zeroes, Lafayette added another run in the top of the fifth. Bechta led off the frame with a base hit and moved into scoring position as sophomore designated hitter Andrew Ruck - the next batter - drew a walk. Bechta was erased on a fielder's choice and replaced at second by Ruck, who moved to third on a two-out single from Froio. He came home to cut the margin to 5-2 as Davidson starter Brian Russell uncorked a wild pitch.
Miller came through once again in the seventh inning as the Leopards pulled with one run at 5-4. Junior shortstop Brian Davila and Froio each singled to start the frame, and sophomore second baseman Kevin Casey sacrificed them into scoring position. Two batters later, Miller's single to left field plated both baserunners.
Despite the bullpen keeping Davidson off the board, Lafayette was unable to pull even with the Wildcats as Mike Frongello closed the door on a 5-4 decision.
Russell (1-0) allowed two earned runs on six hits for Davidson. The junior right-hander struck out six batters and walked three in 5.1 innings of action. Right-hander Danny Mooney allowed two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings on the hill before Frongello tossed 2.1 scoreless innings of two-hit ball, striking out three batters and walking one, to earn his second save.
The Leopards are back in action on Wednesday, March 2 for Opening Day at Kamine Stadium as La Salle visits Easton at 3 p.m.
