HIGH POINT, N.C. - The Lafayette baseball team split two high-scoring games with High Point at Willard Stadium on Saturday. The Leopards were defeated in the first game 13-10 and came back to win the second game 11-10 in extra innings.
In game one, the Leopards jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Junior Blaze Fadio was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and sophomore Easton Brenner singled up the middle to put runners on first and second. Senior Pete Ciuffreda belted a three-run home run off the scoreboard in right field. Later in the inning, three consecutive singles loaded the bases for Lafayette, but senior Kyle Chmielewski lined out to the shortstop to end the Leopards threat in the first.
In the bottom of the first, the Panthers responded with two runs of their own on solo home runs by sophomore Brett Ahalt and graduate student Cael Chatham.
High Point added another run in the second on an RBI-single by freshman Jack Pokorak that tied the game 3-3.
In the top of the third, Ciuffreda led off the inning and found the seats again lining his second home run of the game and third of the year over the left field fence, giving the Leopards back the lead 4-3.
The Panthers sprang ahead again in the bottom of the third on a two-run home run by Chatham, his second of the game, giving High Point a 5-4 lead.
With two outs in the fourth, Fadio singled to left field. The next batter, Brenner, tripled down the right field line scoring Fadio from first and tying the game 5-5.
The Leopards took the lead back in the sixth as junior Justin Grech walked to start the frame and Fadio followed with a towering drive to center that left the yard for Fadio's second home run of the season, giving Lafayette a 7-5 lead.
The seventh inning began with the Leopards extending their lead by three. Sophomore Ben Petrone walked and stole second to start the inning. Sophomore Michael Zarrillo followed with a walk and Chmielewski reached on a bunt, loading the bases with no outs. A wild pitch allowed all runners to advance which scored Petrone from third. The bases were again loaded when Fadio was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. The next batter, sophomore Kaleb Willis, was also hit by a pitch which allowed Zarrillo to score. Senior Seif Ingram reached on a fielder's choice, which allowed Chmielewski to score from third extending the Lafayette lead to 10-5.
In the bottom of the seventh the Panthers struck back. High Point loaded the bases with two outs and a wild pitch allowed Chatham to score from third. The Panthers added another run on a walk two batters later. Freshman Brayden Simpson lined a two-run RBI-double down the left field line, cutting the Leopards' lead to 10-9.
The Panthers took the lead back in the eighth when junior Charlie Klinger hit a three-run home run over the fence in center field making the score 12-10. Later in the inning High Point added another run to its lead when Lafayette was called for a balk which brought the final tally to 13-10.
Junior Patrick Libby collected the win for the Panthers and junior Jack McMullin took the loss for the Leopards in game one.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Lafayette struck first again, scoring two runs on an RBI-single by Grech in the top of the second.
High Point responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the second, with a two-run home run by junior Blake Sutton, a home run by Pokorak and an RBI-double by junior Patrick Matthews.
In the third, junior Adam Stuart hit a solo home run to the extend the Panthers lead to 5-2.
High Point continued to score in the fourth inning, with a two-run home run by Ahalt, an RBI-single by Stewart, and Chatham scored when Klinger got into a rundown.
The Leopards' bats came alive in the fifth, when Ciuffreda cracked his fourth home run of the year, making the score 9-3.
In the sixth, Grech got the Leopards two runs closer, belting a two-run home run into the stands.
Lafayette's home run parade continued in the seventh, with a three-run home run by Michael Zarrillo, and a two-run shot by junior Michael Mallas, which gave the Leopards a 10-9 lead.
High Point tied the score in the bottom of the seventh, as senior Javon Fields hit a sacrifice fly that scored Stewart from third.
Nine innings was not enough for this game. In extra innings, Ciuffreda smashed his second home run of the game and his fifth of the season, to give the Leopards the lead in the tenth, 11-10.
In the bottom of the frame, freshman James Reese came in and closed out Lafayette's 11-10 victory over the Panthers, recording a strikeout and picking up his first collegiate win. Taking the loss for High Point was C.J. Neese.
The Leopards continue their series with High Point on Sunday at 1 p.m.
