March 23, 2014

3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E Penn 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 5 1 Lafayette 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 7 1 Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery 4

EASTON, Pa. - Penn took a one-run lead in the top of the eighth inning, but Lafayette responded with two runs in the bottom half to walk off with a 4-3 victory in game one of Sunday's doubleheader against the Quakers at Kamine Stadium.

Facing a 3-2 deficit, Andrew Santomauro led off the bottom of the inning with a sharply hit ball to third base. His infield single followed an error by Penn on Alex Nickles' sacrifice bunt attempt, putting the first two runners on base. A sacrifice by Parker Hills moved the runners up a base and Santomauro tied the score on a groundout by Tyler Hudson. Campbell Lipe came to the plate with two outs and the winning run at second base. The sophomore first baseman knocked in the decisive run off Penn reliever Mike Reitcheck with a single to short right center field, scoring pinch runner Michael Coniglio.

Leopards' relief pitcher Cory Spera picked up the win after throwing 0.2 innings in support of Connor McMahon. McMahon finished the seventh and was charged with a run in the eighth after taking the ball from starter David Bednar. The rookie righty went 6.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, while striking out eight in a no-decision.

Penn struck first with a two-out RBI single in the first inning by Mitch Montaldo. With two men on against Bednar, Montaldo bounced a base hit through the hole on the left side to score Austin Bossart, who reached on a fielder's choice, from second. Bednar induced a groundout to get out of the inning without any further harm.

Each team went down in order in its next trip to the plate, prior to Lafayette taking the lead with a two-run second. Matt Lawrence's one out single put runners on the corners and brought freshman Austen Maggin to the plate. Maggin came through with his first-career base hit inside the chalk down the right field line to chase Lipe home from third. Penn starter Dan Gautieri hit Andrew Landolfi with a pitch to load the bases, before Nick Murray dropped a single into no man's land in right center to put Lafayette on top. Gautieri struck out Santomauro and Nickles to limit the damage.

Bednar settled in and tossed his second consecutive 1-2-3 inning and retired seven in a row before Penn tied the game in the top of the fourth inning. A walk to Rick Brebnar and a hit batsman put the first two runners on base for the Quakers. A strikeout of Matt McKinnon gave Bednar one out, but Michael Vilardo ripped a single up the middle to score Brebnar from second. Bednar used 4-6-3 double play to end the top of the fourth inning.

Gautieri struck out the side in the home half of the fourth and the Quakers were held scoreless in the fifth despite the leadoff man reaching safely. For Lafayette, Santomauro started the bottom of the inning with a single and moved around to third base on a sacrifice bunt and a flyout to deep centerfield by Hills. With Hudson at the plate and two outs, Santomauro attempted a steal of home and was initially awarded home plate on a balk call by the home plate umpire. After a lengthy discussion between the umpires, Santomauro was called out on the play to end the inning.

The score remained 2-2 through the seven scheduled innings prior to Lafayette walking off in the bottom of the eighth.