Box Score

EASTON, Pa. -- In a game originally scheduled for seven innings between two rivals, Lafayette battled Lehigh into the ninth inning before the contest was decided. Senior Steven Cohen pushed the Leopards past the visiting Mountain Hawks with a two-out walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth.

With the win over Lehigh, the Maroon and White improve to 10-13 overall with a 2-1 record in Patriot League play. The Mountain Hawks move to 9-12 with a 1-2 mark in the league. David Giusti (3-0) was credited with the win on the mound for the Leopards while Buck Schwab (0-1) took the loss for Lehigh.

"We got the job done when it mattered," said head coach Joe Kinney. "Our seniors stepped up at the end of the game and we were able to match up well today to earn the win."

Leopards got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, taking advantage of a bases loaded situation. Mark Glover and Trey Durrah worked back-to-back walks to get things started, while senior co-captain AJ Kloehn reached on a fielder's choice that kept the Leopards at two baserunners with one out. Two straight miscues by the Mountain Hawks loaded the bases for the Leopards as a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position and a fielding error put Quentin Bubb on first base.

Cohen did the initial damage for the Maroon and White, smacking a two-RBI single up the middle to force a Lehigh pitching change. Luke Robinson polished off the inning in the next at-bat, sending a deep triple into right field that plated Cohen and Bubb to give the Leopards a 4-0 lead.

Lehigh cut the Maroon and White's lead to one in the top of the sixth, plating two runs after adding one in the top of the fifth, but Lafayette's bats responded in the bottom half of the inning with two runs to push the lead to 6-2.

The Leopards took advantage of a Mountain Hawk error once again as Cohen reached base with one out. Robinson followed with his second three-bagger of the day to make it 5-2. John Marti earned his 17th RBI of the year in the next at-bat, sending a sacrifice fly into center field to give the Maroon and White a four-run edge.

Lafayette's lead didn't last long however as the Mountain Hawks used a three-run outburst fueled by a home run from Thomas Schumaker to tie the game at 6-6 in the top half of the seventh inning. The Leopards couldn't scratch a run across in the bottom of the seventh as the game moved into extra innings.

Lehigh struck first in the top of the eighth inning, plating one run to put the Leopards down 7-6. Patrick Nelson kept the game alive for the Maroon and White as the senior laced a single that scored Robinson from second base to tie the game.

Giusti held Lehigh in the top of the ninth inning, picking off one baserunner in the process. The Maroon and White seized the opportunity in the bottom half of the inning as Jake Sniegocki reached on a fielder's choice to put the winning run on base for the Leopards as the top of the order was due up. Cohen dug in at the plate and calmly sent a shot into right center that plated Sniegocki to give Lafayette the 8-7 victory at home.

The second game of today's doubleheader was postponed to fading light conditions. A makeup date will be detrmined.

The Leopards are back on the diamond tomorrow when the host Villanova in the Liberty Bell Classic. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.