Box Score (Game 1) | Box Score (Game 2)

EASTON, Pa. -- Eight outs away from suffering a four-game sweep at the hands of Navy, freshman Dan Leckie came through in the clutch for Lafayette.

Leckie delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning, as the Leopards rallied for a 7-5 victory over the Mids in Game 2. The freshman outfielder's extra base hit gave the home side a 5-4 advantage, while an RBI single from Steven Cohen and a solo home run from Jackson Kramer provided key insurance runs down the stretch.

That win offset a 19-6 defeat in the opener which clinched the four-game series for Navy (25-9-1, 5-3 PL). Lafayette (10-20, 4-4 PL) ranks fourth in the Patriot League after two weekends of conference action, only one game back of Navy, Bucknell and Holy Cross for first place.

GAME 1

The Maroon and White fell behind in the first inning for a third-consecutive game in the series and fourth contest overall, with Navy putting up a four spot in its first trip to the plate.

The Mids did not let up over the next four innings, adding 15 more runs to its total during that stretch before being held off the scoreboard by reliever Rob Ewald in the final two frames. Three different players managed three hits, and five had multiple RBIs.

The Leopards kept up offensively early on. Michael Coniglio stole his Patriot League-leading 19th base of the year in the first, and Steven Cohen and Campbell Lipe picked up RBI hits. Cohen tallied a second RBI on a fielder's choice in the second to make the score 5-3, but Navy tacked on six in the top of the third to open up an eight-run advantage.

Cohen and Coniglio led the way offensively in Game 1. Cohen finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs while Coniglio went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Alex Nickles, picking up where he left off after a seven-RBI performance on Wednesday against Penn State, also supplied two hits after entering the contest in the fourth inning.

GAME 2

Lafayette made five changes to its starting nine for the night cap, and two of the newcomers accounted for the opening runs of the contest. Nickles led off the second inning with a single, giving him hits in five of his past six at-bats, and Luke Robinson followed with a two-run shot to left which gave the home side its first lead of the series.

The home run was Robinson's first of his collegiate career. He finished 2-for-4 to up his season average to .353 overall.

The Leopards upped their lead to 3-0 in their next trip to the plate. Leckie belted a one-out double to left, and he scored later in the frame on a fielding error by Navy's third baseman.

Trevor Houck, meanwhile, provided a much-needed steading presence on the mound. The junior right-hander kept the visitors off the scoreboard through the first three innings, facing only one batter over the minimum. While the Mids rallied to tie the score in the fourth, only one of their three runs was earned, as Lafayette committed a pair of errors to help level the score at three apiece.

Houck was removed after surrendering a leadoff double to Nick Paglialonga in the seventh. Pinch-runner Andrew Lowry would go on to score on a sacrifice fly, giving Houck a final line of four runs allowed (two earned) over six-plus innings of work. He struck out two and did not walk a batter.

Facing a 4-3 deficit after that sac fly, the Leopards began their rally when Jackson Kramer was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom-half of the frame. After a sacrifice bunt, Coniglio knocked a single to center to put runners on the corners with one man down.

Navy went to the bullpen for reliever Sam Sorenson, who entered with a 1.19 earned-run average and only one extra base hit allowed in 22 2/3 innings this season. Leckie quickly doubled that total, driving a two bagger off the wall in left-center to give Lafayette the lead. Coniglio scored the go-ahead run after getting into scoring position with his 20th base swipe of the campaign.

Cohen then hit an 0-1 pitch up the middle to increase the advantage to 6-4, upping his team-high RBI total to 26.

The Mids pulled within a run in the top of the eighth on a two-out triple by Connor Deneen. David Giusti, though, induced a groundout to second to keep Deneed stranded at third, and Kramer's second long ball of the season restored the two-run cushion in the bottom of the inning.

Ryan Callanan registered his second save of the season in the ninth, giving up only a one-out single. Giusti picked up the victory to improve to 3-1 on the year.

UP NEXT:

Lafayette is scheduled to travel to Monmouth tomorrow afternoon for a 3:30 p.m. contest. The Maroon and White will then welcome Bucknell to Kamine Stadium for a four-game series beginning on Saturday.