Lehigh opens season with loss to No. 21 Florida State
Posted: February 25, 2005
Columbus, GA – Lehigh struck first against No. 21 Florida State in its season opener Friday afternoon, but the Seminoles capitalized on a fourth inning grand slam and went on to beat the Mountain Hawks 5-1 in the opening game for both teams at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Brown and White had numerous baserunners, but only managed one hit on the afternoon as they open the season with an 0-1 record, while
Florida State improves to 8-5 on the year.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third. Lehigh’s Jessica Young walked to start things off; after Mary Weider reached on a fielder’s choice and Lauren Haney walked, the Mountain Hawks had the bases loaded and one out. Senior Kelly Kliewer then hit a sacrifice fly to score Young and put the Mountain Hawks up 1-0.
Florida State would load the bases in the top of the fourth and the Seminoles took full advantage. Melissa Wood put FSU ahead with a grand slam off Lehigh starting pitcher Emily Ling to give the Seminoles the lead. Florida State pitching shut down the Lehigh bats from there on and the offense tacked on a fifth run in the seventh inning.
Ling takes the loss for Lehigh allowing four runs on five hits in five innings of work, striking out four and walking three. Tiffany McDonald went four innings, getting the win despite walking six batters, before Casey Hunter came in to close out the Mountain Hawks with three innings of hitless relief. Katherine Wegert got Lehigh’s only hit on the afternoon, a first inning single off of McDonald.
Lehigh will return to the diamond tonight at 7:30 when the Mountain Hawks take on No. 13 Oklahoma in their second game of pool play at the Leadoff Classic.