PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa.  – The Lafayette baseball team will have the opportunity to repeat as Liberty Bell Classic Champions after defeating Villanova, 8-6, in the semifinal on Tuesday afternoon at Villanova Ballpark.
 
Villanova (6-20) struck first in the home half of the first, but sophomore Michael Dunn settled in and worked scoreless innings over the next four frames in his first career start.
 
The Leopards (8-18) were able to tie things up in the fourth when senior Dan Leckie roped one down the left field line to score junior Trey Durrah. Lafayette's run production continued in the fifth when sophomore Bill Russo walked, junior Jake Sniegocki drove a double to left and freshman Zach Savage picked up his first career hit and RBI, driving home Russo.
 
The fifth inning continued with a fielder's choice error when junior Brandon Posivak tried to squeeze home Sniegocki, but a throwing error allowed him to score safely. Sophomore Michael Landry then singled home Savage and Durrah drove home Posivak to put the Leopards in front, 5-1.
 
Three straight hits opened the sixth as Leckie hit his second double of the afternoon before Rouse singled him home and Russo reached for the third time with a single to score Rouse to make it 7-1.
 
Leckie was 3-for-4 with three doubles and an RBI and Russo was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk to lead the Lafayette offense. Russo drove home Leckie in the eighth to answer a Villanova run in the seventh.
 
Dunn worked a career-high five innings with a career-best five punch outs, allowing just the one run. Senior Kyle Johnson worked a scoreless sixth before the Wildcats scratched across a run in the seventh. Freshman Kyle Subers got the final out of the seventh with a big strikeout to strand a pair.
 
Villanova did not go away, putting together a four-run eighth inning to cut the Lafayette lead to just two before freshman Frank Craska got the final out of the eighth and worked a scoreless ninth to pick up the save.
 
Lafayette will look to go back-to-back as champions in the Liberty Bell Classic with a rematch against Delaware at Citizens Bank Park on April 23.
 
Before that, the Leopards have a three-game set at Kamine Stadium as Bucknell comes to College Hill for a double header on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday.

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