March 21, 2016 Box Score
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Lafayette's offense reached the seven-run mark for a third time in as many days, but the Leopards came up one run short on Monday evening at USC-Upstate.
On a night in which 14 of the 15 runs were scored with two outs, a pair of Lafayette errors helped the host Spartans plate three runs in the eighth inning to eke out an 8-7 victory.
Pat Gaudard reached on an infield fielding error to allow the decisive run to score for Upstate (9-12), which snapped a seven-game losing streak. Jake Beaver had leveled the contest up at 7-7 one batter prior with an RBI single off of Ryan Callanan.
The Leopards (4-9) were led offensively by Steven Cohen and Michael Coniglio, with each managing two hits and two runs scored. Cohen also drove in two to increase his team-leading RBI total to 16.
The two starting pitchers combined to retire the first 10 batters of tonight's contest. The Spartans, though, struck first in the second inning. With a runner on first and two outs, Lafayette starter John Cain gave up back-to-back singles to Brendan Brundage and Anthony Vaglica, and Vaglica's base knock gave the home side a 1-0 lead.
The Leopards quickly responded in the top of the third on a two-out rally of their own. Coniglio plated the first run with a single up the middle, and after Tyler Hudson was hit by a pitch, Cohen drove in both Coniglio and Hudson with an opposite-field triple to right-center on a 2-2 count. The three bagger was the first of Cohen's career on College Hill, and it was additionally the first for any Lafayette player in 2016.
Staked to a 3-1 advantage, Cain struggled to find the strike zone in the bottom half of the frame. He issued three free passes, and the last of those came with the bases loaded to bring Upstate's second run across the plate. The Spartans then tied the score on an RBI single from Brundage, but Cain retired Vaglica on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to limit the damage.
Upstate briefly jumped ahead on a two-out RBI single in the fourth inning. The Leopards, however, tacked on runs in both the fifth and sixth, again on two-out rallies to regain their advantage. Alex Woinski roped a double to left field to make it 4-4 in the fifth after Cohen had reached on an error to extend the frame.
Andrew Landolfi and Coniglio then singled with two outs in the sixth to set up an RBI situation for Hudson. The senior co-captain came through, sending a high fly ball off the top of the fence in right to bring both of his teammate home. Hudson tried to make it all the way home on the play but he was thrown out at the plate, forcing him to settle for a triple which allowed Lafayette to move back in front by two runs.
Both teams added solo tallies in the next two half-innings. The Spartans made it 6-5 on yet another RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth, but Luke Robinson responded with his second big hit off the bench during the current road trip to score the Maroon and White's seventh run. Pinch-hitting with two outs in the seventh, he worked the count full and lined a single past the second baseman for his third RBI of the year.
That, however, would be the end of Lafayette's offensive output for the evening. After Upstate's eighth-inning rally, the Leopards had one last chance in the ninth. Cohen drew a one-out walk, and advanced to second on his second stolen base of the game, but Richie Lacell ended the contest on a strikeout to earn his fourth save of 2016.
Lafayette remains in Spartanburg, S.C., tomorrow, taking on Wofford for a tilt scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
Note:
On a rough overall night for pitchers, freshman RHP Connor Jones supplied 2 1/3 strong innings in relief for the Leopards. He allowed one run on only one hit and one walk, while striking out two.
