Box Score

FLEMINGTON, N.J. – Lafayette scored three runs in the first inning and never trailed in a 6-3 win over Rider on Tuesday at Diamond Nation. Senior Ari Kaufman gave the Leopards five innings on the mound without allowing a hit. He struck out five while throwing 74 pitches in the early-season outing.

In the first inning, Lafayette put its first two runners on via walks. Steven Cohen plated both with a double in the gap in left center. Campbell Lipe then scored Cohen with an RBI-single and the Leopards led 3-0 before Rider starter Nick Payesko (0-1) registered an out.

Rider threatened in the third inning, putting a pair of runners on with no outs. Kaufman got a flyout and then a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning with the lead intact.

Lafayette left two runners on in the fourth and the fifth and stranded three in the sixth, but the sixth frame did produce a run. Tyler Hudson was hit by a 1-0 offering to lead off the inning. Spencer Rouse (2-for-2) sacrificed him to second for the second out of the inning before Dan Leckie came through with the RBI-single and a 4-0 advantage.

The Broncs (0-4) scored a run in the eighth. A Dalton Mayberry double and a walk put runners on second and third with two outs. Lafayette head coach Joe Kinney went to the bullpen to replace Coleman Strohm with Connor McMahon. McMahon got a ground ball for the potential third out, but the throw to first was off line, allowing Mayberry to score.

Lafayette (1-3) answered with two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth as Lipe went back up the middle for a two-out, two-run single and a 6-1 Leopard lead.

Things got interesting in the top of the final inning. Andrew Kaiser had the third single of the inning and his two-out hit plated two runs to trim the lead to 6-3. McMahon walked the next batter to load the bases, but ended the game when he struck out Christian Estevez. McMahon collected his first save of the season, allowing two runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Lafayette next plays on Wednesday at Rutgers at 3 p.m.