Wednesday, March 9
Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
2:45 p.m.
Lehigh University
3-4
6
at
8
Villanova
4-9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Lehigh
0
0
0
2
1
1
2
0
0
6
10
1
Villanova
0
0
1
1
2
0
2
2
X
8
12
2
Lehigh falls 8-6 in back-and-forth battle at Villanova
3/9/2016 6:36:00 PM | Baseball
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball team erased three separate deficits, but Villanova scored the final four runs of a tightly-contested game to earn an 8-6 win at Villanova Ballpark Wednesday afternoon. The Mountain Hawks fall to 3-4 overall with the loss, while the Wildcats improve to 4-9.
"Much like a lot of early-season games, we saw some things we liked and saw some things we need to work on," said head coach Sean Leary. "It was a bit of a sloppy game. We needed to be sharper today and as we progress further into the season."
Junior Jacen Nalesnik went 3-for-5 at the plate, while classmate Patrick Donnelly had a 2-for-4 showing. Junior Connor Donovan hit 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Freshman starter Cole McManimon cruised through the first two innings, including striking out the side in the bottom of the second. The Wildcats were able to get on the board first in the third with a one-out single that was followed by back-to-back walks to load the bases as McManimon's outing came to a close and sophomore reliever Frank Rosetti took the mound. A hit by pitch put Villanova ahead 1-0, but Rosetti got Kevin Jewitt to ground into an inning-ending double play to limit the damage.
The Mountain Hawks answered right away in the top of the fourth as junior David Young took first on a Villanova error before Donovan and senior Anthony Rinaldi drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. A pair of sacrifice flies from freshman Ryan Bonshak and sophomore James Bleming followed to give the Mountain Hawks a 2-1 lead.
The Wildcats then tied the game at 2-2 on a sac fly from David Gulati in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Mike Garzillo led off the fifth frame with a double to center, moved to third on a groundout and then scored on a wild pitch to put Lehigh right back in front 3-2. Villanova reclaimed the lead again in the bottom half of the innings as a Donovan May two-run single put the Wildcats up 4-3.
The Mountain Hawks tied the game once again in the sixth as Bonshak laid down a leadoff bunt single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from junior Stephen Fitzgerald and then ran home following a Villanova throwing error on a Bleming fly ball. The Wildcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame, but Donovan took the mound and got Villanova to ground into an inning-ending double play to send the game to the seventh inning.
Donnelly sent a one-out single to left in the seventh before moving to second on a passed ball and taking third on a Young groundout. Donovan roped an RBI single which was followed by an RBI double from Rinaldi that put the Mountain Hawks ahead 6-4.
Three Villanova doubles then helped the Wildcats tie the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh. A solo home run from Todd Czinege accounted as the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth before Jewitt roped a triple and scored on a passed ball to add an insurance run for Villanova. Donnelly recorded a leadoff single in the top of the ninth, but Lehigh wasn't able to capitalize as Villanova walked away with the 8-6 win.
Donovan suffered the loss, while Villanova reliever Woody Bryson picked up the win after keeping Lehigh off the board for the final two innings.
Lehigh returns to action this weekend with a four-game series against Fairleigh Dickinson. A Saturday doubleheader will be played at FDU before Lehigh makes its home debut at Legacy Park with a 12 p.m. twinbill against the Knights Sunday.
Like Lehigh baseball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bryson, W. (1-1)
L: Donovan, Connor (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Nalesnik, Jacen 1 ; Garzillo, Mike 1 ; Rinaldi, Anthony 1
RBI: Bleming, James 1 ; Donovan, Connor 1 ; Rinaldi, Anthony 2 ; Bonshak, Ryan 1
SH: Fitzgerald, Stephen 1
SF: Bleming, James 1 ; Bonshak, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Garzillo, Mike 1 ; Donnelly, Patrick 1 ; Young, David 1 ; Donovan, Connor 2 ; Bonshak, Ryan 1
SB: Rinaldi, Anthony 1
Batting:
2B: Jewitt, K. 1 ; May, Do. 1 ; Gulati, D. 1
3B: Jewitt, K. 1
HR: Czinege, T. 1
RBI: Czinege, T. 1 ; Beermann, M. 1 ; May, Do. 3 ; Gulati, D. 2
SH: Lowe, E. 1
SF: Gulati, D. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Goss, A. 1 ; Czinege, T. 2 ; Beermann, M. 1 ; Jewitt, K. 2 ; May, Do. 2
SB: Goss, A. 1
HBP: Beermann, M. 1 ; Campos, B. 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
0
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
dh/p
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF/IF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball3B
/ Baseball1B/P
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball2B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
P/IF
/ BaseballBaseball vs. Coppin State
Tuesday, April 29
Baseball vs. Penn
Wednesday, March 19
Baseball vs. UAlbany
Sunday, March 16
Season Preview Baseball
Thursday, February 13
