April 25, 2015

5 Game 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Lehigh 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 5 7 2 Lafayette 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 4 5 2 Box Score (HTML)|Box Score (PDF) 4

4 Game 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Lehigh 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 11 2 Lafayette 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 7 1 Box Score (HTML)|Box Score (PDF) 2

EASTON, Pa. - Despite dropping both games of a doubleheader to Lehigh on Saturday at Kamine Stadium, the Lafayette baseball team clinched a Patriot League playoff berth due to losses by both Bucknell and Army West Point.

The Leopards (10-21-1, 8-10) are locked in as the tournament's fourth seed and will enter the conference postseason for the first time since 2012. Their semifinal opponent will be determined by Sunday's league action.

Lehigh clubbed five home runs on the day in improving its record to 17-24, 11-7, and clinched a playoff spot of its own.

Lehigh claimed game one by a score of 5-4 behind the strength of two homers and four stolen bases. It was actually a caught stealing attempt that allowed the first run to score in the opening frame. With Jacen Nalesnik on third, Patrick Donnelly got himself caught in a run down between first and second. He ended up getting tagged out but not before Nalesnik scampered home during the rundown.

Lehigh's run in the second inning was more conventional, coming by the way of a solo home run from John Elson.

Lafayette took a brief lead in the bottom of the second when Steven Cohen drilled his fifth home run of the season -- a three-run shot to left-center -- to bring home Parker Hills and Brett Thompson.

The two teams then traded single runs in the third to make it 4-3 in Lafayette's favor. Nalesnik scored on a single by Donnelly for Lehigh, while Tyler Hudson swatted his third home run of the year to right field for the Leopards.

Nalesnik did more damage for Lehigh in the fifth when he singled home Justin Pacchioli to even the score. Connor Faust then delivered the game-winner on a solo shot in the sixth.

The Mountain Hawks displayed more power in the second game, which they won by a score of 4-2. Back-to-back homers by Nalesnik and Mike Garzillo got them off to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third.

Luke Robinson tripled and scored for Lafayette in the bottom half before the Leopards used two hits, a wild pitch and a fielding error to plate another run in the fifth and tie the game.

The contest remained knotted until the eighth, when Donnelly hit a solo home run to left field for Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks then set the final score with an insurance run in the ninth when Faust scored on a wild pitch.

The Leopards and Mountain Hawks will play two more games on Sunday, with first pitch set for 12:05 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on the Patriot League Network.