Wednesday, March 16
Winter Haven, Fla. - Lake Myrtle Main Field
11:15 a.m.
Lehigh University
1
vs
2
Bradley
Lehigh opens up Spring Break with one-run loss to Bradley before falling in extras to Maine
3/16/2016 8:32:00 PM | Baseball
AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Lehigh baseball team fell 2-1 in a pitchers' duel against Bradley before dropping an extra-inning 11-6 battle to Maine on the first day of the Mountain Hawks' Spring Break trip at the RussMatt Invitational. Lehigh held a 6-5 lead against the Black Bears before Maine tied the game in the top of the ninth and scored five runs in the tenth. The Mountain Hawks fall to 3-10 overall with the losses.
"I thought our guys competed really well today and our starters pitched terrific games," said head coach Sean Leary. "It was a strong day, but we just came up short. I'm proud of them for the way they competed."
Junior Jacen Nalesnik led Lehigh offensively with a 5-for-9 showing at the plate, two triples, two runs scored and an RBI in the two games combined. Junior Connor Donovan drove home three runs, while seniors Anthony Rinaldi and Mike Garzillo also recorded an RBI. Sophomore Sam Ashey and senior Brandon Kulp both put together strong showings on the mound in the day's opener and kept Bradley scoreless for the final five innings.
Bradley, the designated home team, got on the board right away in the day's first game as a single and ground rule double were followed by a sacrifice fly from Zach Leffler to put the Braves ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first. A solo home run from Paul Solka in the bottom of the third tacked on another run for Bradley to put the score at 2-0. Lehigh starter Ashey kept the Braves off the board for the next three innings as he finished his strong outing with a line of two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
The Mountain Hawks scattered three hits through their first seven trips to the plate off Bradley starter Drew Peters and reliever Ben Ciliano before Lehigh got on the board in the top of the eighth. Nalesnik roped a one-out triple and a batter later Garzillo traded places with him thanks to a triple of his own to help the Mountain Hawks cut Bradley's lead to 2-1.
Kulp came on in relief and kept the Braves scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings to keep the deficit at 2-1, but Lehigh couldn't get past Bradley closer Eric Scheurmann in the top of the ninth as the Braves earned the 2-1 win. Scheurmann earned his third save of the season while Peters picked up the win.
Maine, the designated visiting team, threatened in the top of the first of the day's nightcap as a Lehigh error was followed by a double to put runners on second and third with one out, but freshman starter Cole McManimon got two big strikeouts to end the threat. Nalesnik got Lehigh on the board right away as he roped a leadoff triple to center before scoring on a wild pitch to put the Mountain Hawks ahead 1-0.
The Black Bears countered in the top of the second as two hits, a sacrifice bunt, RBI groundout and hit by pitch led to a two-run inning. Maine added another in the third on a solo home run from Brett Chappel to give the Black Bears a 3-1 advantage.
Junior Stephen Fitzgerald drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the third before taking second on a wild pitch. Nalesnik then drove a base hit up the middle to score Fitzgerald and cut the Maine lead to 3-2 through three frames. The Mountain Hawks then tied the score in the next inning as Donovan roped a leadoff double to left before moving to third on a groundout from senior Mackey Price. Rinaldi stepped up with a single through the right side to plate Donovan and put the score at 3-3.
Maine jumped right back ahead in the following frame as a one-out single, a walk and a fielder's choice were followed by a Lehigh error that put the Black Bears in front 4-3. The Mountain Hawks answered in the bottom of the fifth as Garzillo reached on a fielder's choice before taking second and third on a pair of wild pitches. Donovan followed with an RBI single to tie the score at 4-4 through five innings.
The Black Bears loaded the bases with one out in the sixth following a Lehigh error and a pair of walks. Sophomore Frank Rosetti took the mound and got a pair of fly outs, the first of which was a sacrifice fly, to limit the damage as Maine took a 5-4 lead.
Junior Patrick Donnelly drew a one-out walk in the seventh before Donovan followed with a two-run opposite field home run that put the Mountain Hawks in front 6-5. Rosetti faced the first two Maine batters in the eighth before Donovan took the mound and got the final two outs of the inning. Donovan stayed on for the ninth and retired the first batter before Maine's Tyler Schwanz sent a solo homer to left to tie the game at 6-6. Lehigh wasn't able to get anything going in the bottom of the ninth as the Mountain Hawks found themselves headed to extra innings for the first time this season.
The Black Bears didn't waste any time as Patrick Coughlin drew a one-out walk before stealing second and being singled home to score the go-ahead run. Maine then added four insurance runs before reliever Logan Fullmer kept Lehigh off the board in the bottom of the tenth to secure the 11-6 win for the Black Bears.
Donovan suffered the loss, while Maine reliever Eddie Emerson picked up the win. McManimon finished with a line of four runs, only three of which were earned, on five hits with four strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
Lehigh will have a day off from game action Thursday before taking on Dartmouth in a 2 p.m. Friday doubleheader.
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