March 13, 2011
Box Score
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - The Lafayette baseball team claimed the finale of its four-game series at Cal State Northridge on Sunday, as junior right-hander Ethan Perro fired six strong innings en route to earning the win in a 5-3 decision. Sophomore designated hitter Andrew Ruck drove in two runs for the Leopards.
After splitting the series with the Matadors, Lafayette stands at 4-7. Northridge moves to 10-7 with the loss. The Leopards won the series opener at Matador Field on Friday and were swept in a doubleheader at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. yesterday.
Perro (1-0) got the start scattered six hits and allowed two earned runs over the first six innings. Junior southpaw Jack Rems hurled a scoreless seventh inning to bridge the gap to junior closer Jeff Snell, who posted a pair of zeroes to earn his second save of the season.
Senior outfielder Alex Bechta led the way on offense, batting 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base. He also drew a pair of walks. Sophomore third baseman Scott Kelleher, batting third right behind Bechta, was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and junior outfielder Bobby Fargnoli also drove in a run for Lafayette.
The Leopards took advantage of an early opportunity as senior Rob Froio reached an error to start the game. Bechta followed with a double to the left-centerfield gap that scored the game's first run. He later came home on a Ruck groundout to spot the Leopards an early 2-0 lead.
After Perro posted three scoreless frames, Lafayette added another run in the top of the fourth inning. Sophomore second baseman Kevin Casey notched a one-out single and took second when a pickoff attempt got away from Northridge starter Justen Gorski. Fargnoli followed with a base hit to score Casey and run the Lafayette advantage to 3-0.
Two more runs crossed the plate in the top of the fifth inning, started by a one-out walk and stolen base by Bechta. Kelleher singled to drive him home and then moved to third on a base-knock by senior catcher A.J. Miller. Ruck's single through the right side plated Kelleher to extend the margin to 5-0 in favor of the Maroon and White.
Single runs by the Matadors in the fifth and sixth innings closed the book on Perro, but Rems pitched in-and-out of trouble in the seventh to hold the score at 5-2. Snell fired a scoreless eighth and, despite an unearned run coming home for Northridge in the ninth, closed the door on a 5-3 victory.
Gorski (2-1) allowed eight hits and five runs (three earned) over the first five innings to take the loss. Ryan Juarez turned in four scoreless frames of relief for the Matadors, but the Northridge bats were unable to solve the Leopards' trio of hurlers.
The Leopards will remain in the Golden State for another four-game set, as Cal State Bakersfield hosts four single games beginning on Wednesday, March 16. The Roadrunners (12-5) are currently ranked No. 30 in the nation and could see that ranking climb after a win at No. 4 South Carolina on Sunday.
