EASTON, Pa. – The Lafayette baseball team was defeated by Army, dropping both halves of a doubleheader to the Black Knights, 9-3 in game one and 17-5 in game two.

Army wasted no time in getting on the board in game one. The Black Knights scored four runs in the top of the first, on a two-run double by William Parker, a Lafayette error and an RBI-single by Sam Ruta, to take a 4-0 lead.

Lafayette responded with three runs in the second. Freshman Teddy Cashman reached on an Army error and was followed by junior Easton Brenner with a single to left field. Senior Justin Grech got the Leopards on the board with an RBI-single to center field that scored Cashman. Later in the inning, freshman Matt Colella got the first of his two hits in the game, a two-run single to center field that brought the tally to 4-3.

In the top of the fourth, Army took control of the game, driving in five runs in the frame to make the score 9-3.

Neither team was able to push another run across the plate for the rest of the game, as Army took game one, 9-3.

Justin Lehman collected the win for the Black Knights, giving up three runs and six hits, while striking out seven over five innings of work. Junior Joe Skapinetz took the loss for the Leopards, giving up nine runs and seven hits, with four strikeouts in 3.1 innings of action.

In game two, the Black Knights once again jumped out to an early lead, scoring five runs in the first inning, on a two-run home run, an RBI-single, a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch, making the score 5-0.

Lafayette got on the board in the second, when Brenner scored on a throwing error by the Army catcher, bringing the tally to 5-1.

In the third, the Leopards tied the game. Lafayette loaded the bases on walks to sophomore Ethan Swidler, senior Blaze Fadio and Cashman. Junior Michael Zarrillo blasted the first of his two hits in the game over the right field fence, to tie the game, 5-5. The home run was the fourth of the year for Zarrillo.

Army took the lead back in the fifth, scoring on an RBI-single to left field and a two-run double down the right field line, to make the score 8-5.

The Black Knights added four more runs in the sixth and five more runs in the ninth, to make the final tally 17-5.

Mike Ruggieri earned the win for the Black Knights, giving up five runs and scattering three hits over five innings of action, as well as striking out 10. Matt Ronnebaum got the save for Army, throwing four scoreless and hitless innings. Senior Adam Bogosian took the loss for the Leopards, surrendering seven runs, five hits and striking out five over 5.1 innings.

The Leopards are next in action when they close out their three-game series with Army on Sunday at noon.