April 2, 2012
EASTON, Pa. - On the heels of a week in which he hit .571 with seven runs batted in for the Lafayette baseball team, Andrew Santomauro has been named the Patriot League Player of the Week. Santomauro hit safely in all six games last week and batted an even .600 with six RBI in the four-game series at Lehigh over the weekend.
Santomauro, who has started every game in centerfield for the Leopards this season, was 12-for-21 on the week with a pair of doubles and four runs scored in addition to his seven RBI. The sophomore posted four multi-hit games, including two three-hit performances against the Mountain Hawks. Santomauro capped his week with a 3-for-5, four RBI showing as the Leopards completed a doubleheader sweep at Lehigh to split the weekend series.
In the opening weekend of league play, Santomauro led all Patriot League players in hits (9), RBI (6) and batting average (.600) while sharing the league high of 10 total bases.
Santomauro is currently on an eight-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 12 of Lafayette's last 13 contests. During that 13-game span, Santomauro is hitting .465 (20-for-43) with 14 RBI en route to raising his season batting average from .158 to .290.
This is the second consecutive week in which a Leopard has claimed one of the Patriot League's weekly awards. James McCool was lauded as Rookie of the Week on March 26.
Additionally, Connor Ortolf earned an Honorable Mention from the League for his pitching performance at Lehigh yesterday. The sophomore southpaw fired a complete-game five-hitter, ceding just one earned run. Only one Lehigh baserunner advanced past first base over the final seven innings of the contest as the Leopards cruised to an 8-1 win in the series finale. Ortolf's effort marked the first complete game of the season for the Lafayette staff as well as the first time that a Leopards' hurler went the distance in a nine-inning contest since Corey Shea '11 twirled a seven-hit shutout against Lehigh on April 12, 2009.
The Leopards will play midweek games at Villanova and Monmouth on Tuesday and Wednesday before resuming Patriot League action this weekend at Holy Cross.
