EASTON Pa. – The Lafayette baseball team dropped both halves of a doubleheader to Holy Cross on Saturday, 7-3 and 13-4, but a Lehigh loss propeled the Leopards into the Patriot League Tournament field.

Prior to the game, Lafayette honored the members of the Class of 2023: Kyle Chmielewski, Jacob Ciccone, Pete Ciuffreda, Seif Ingram, Dylan Siesky, Patrick Vandenbergh, Alex Walsh and Justin Weiss on Senior Day.

In game one, Lafayette jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning when a sacrifice bunt by Chmielewski scored junior Justin Grech from third, and an RBI-single by Vandenbergh scored junior Blaze Fadio.

Holy Cross countered with five runs in the third on an RBI-single to right field by Connor Cooney, a Lafayette error, a two-run home run by Sean Scanlon and an RBI-single to center field by Chris Baillargeon, making the score 5-2.

Lafayette added a run of its own in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly to right field by Ingram, that scored sophomore Michael Zarrillo from third and cut Holy Cross' lead to 5-3.

The Crusaders added two insurance runs in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk to Baillargeon and a sacrifice fly to right field by Jake McElroy, which brought the final tally to 7-3.

Nate Chudy picked up the win for the Crusaders, pitching 5.1 innings, giving up seven hits, three runs and striking out five. Jake McOskar earned the save, pitching 1.2 innings and recording a strikeout.  Walsh took the loss for the Leopards, pitching 2.0 innings, giving up five hits, five runs and striking out three.

In game two, Holy Cross again scored five runs in the third inning on a Lafayette error, a two-run double to left field by McElroy, and a two-run double down the left field line by Jordan Petrushka.

Lafayette responded in the fourth, when Zarrillo hit his eighth home run of the season to right field and an RBI-groundout by Chmielewski scored Ingram, bringing the score to 5-2.

The Crusaders scored three more runs in the fifth on a two-run double to right field by Scanlon and a bases-loaded walk to McElroy. Holy Cross added a single run in the seventh on an RBI-double to right center field by Baillargeon, to make the score 9-2.

In the eighth, Scanlon hit a two-run double to right field, extending the Crusaders' lead to 11-2.

In the bottom of the eighth, Lafayette scored two runs on an RBI-double to left field by Chmielewski and an RBI-single to right center by senior Justin Weiss, to make the score 11-4.

Holy Cross added to its lead in the ninth, with two more runs on an RBI-groundout by Patrick Casserly and an RBI-double to right field by Jimmy King.

Lafayette was unable to plate any more runs in the bottom of the frame, dropping the game to the Crusaders 13-4.

Jack DiLauro earned the win for Holy Cross, pitching 5.2 innings, giving up five hits, two runs and striking out 11. Freshman Pat Walega took the loss for Lafayette, pitching 3.0 innings, giving up seven hits, five runs and striking out four.

The Leopards return to action on Sunday when they host Army for a doubleheader that begins at noon.