April 6, 2013

3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Holy Cross 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 6 0 Lafayette 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) | Game Two | Photo Gallery 0

EASTON, Pa. - Holy Cross came out on the winning end of a pitchers' duel in game one of Saturday's doubleheader as the Crusaders topped Lafayette 3-0. Right-hander Tom Marra went the distance in the seven-inning complete-game shutout for the visitors and struck out seven.

Marra held Lafayette (5-23, 2-3) to four hits and two of his strikeouts came in the bottom of the seventh inning to complete his outing. Offensively, Holy Cross (12-15, 4-1) was led by Stephen Wadsworth's two-hit, two-RBI effort.

Following a scoreless first inning and Kevin Casey being thrown out trying to score from first on Campbell Lipe's hit to the gap in left center, Leopards' starter Michael Massa received help from his defense in the top of the second. With a runner on second and two away, Alex Maldonado singled up the middle, but Andrew Santomauro gunned down Stephen Wadsworth at the plate to keep the game scoreless.

Marra, who earned the start on the hill for Holy Cross, struck out two Lafayette batters and stranded Scott Kelleher at second after he walked and moved up on a wild pitch in the home half of the second inning. The Crusaders had a chance to scratch out a run in the third when Evan Ocello beat out a bunt single, moved up on a sacrifice and swiped third base. Massa got a critical strikeout of Jordan Enos, before a flyout ended the threat. Marra then worked a clean bottom of the third that finished with Andrew Ruck's lineout to first.

Holy Cross found itself in a similar situation in the top of the fourth, but brought home the run from third base when Wadsworth shot a one-out single past the drawn-in Lafayette infield on the left side for the game's first tally. Massa then picked Wadsworth off of first base and struck out Nick Louvello looking to complete the frame.

Each team went quietly in its next trip to the plate and Marra had retired nine straight Lafayette batters before Zach Gross singled up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Marra wasn't affected by baserunner, though, as he struck out Andrew Landolfi.

The Crusaders added two more runs with two outs in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Patrick Puentes and Wadsworth to push its lead to 3-0. Santomauro led off the sixth with a chopper through the left side, but Marra quickly recovered by inducing Ruck to ground into a 4-6-3 double play and Casey flied out in foul territory down the right field line.

Massa gave way to Derek Gussaroff after six solid innings in which he gave up five hits and three runs, while fanning there and walking five. Gusaroff stranded two baserunners in a scoreless inning out of the pen.

Fans can follow along during game two of the doubleheader on twitter @LafayetteBsbl or online by using .