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Lafayette Baseball Debuts at Class of 1978 Stadium With 17-2 Win
March 10, 2004 EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Lafayette baseball team made the most of its debut at the Class of 1978 Stadium on Wednesday, cranking out 18 hits en route to a 17-2 win over Franklin and Marshall. After a scoreless first and second, Franklin and Marshall got to Lafayette starter Brian Cope (3 IP, 6 H, 0 W, 3 K) for two runs in the third inning. A Chris Smith double started the inning and Corey Caruthers and Scott Haft each singled in runs to give the Diplomats (3-4) the early 2-0 lead. The lead would be short-lived as Lafayette batted around to put together a five-run outburst in the bottom of the inning. The Leopards scored their first run on a bases-loaded wild pitch by F&M starter Gordie Eck. Craig Alexander, Eric Vacca and Adam Bucci (1-3, 3RBI) all drove in runs in the rally, with Alexander's and Vacca's coming on singles. Leading 5-2, Lafayette tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Singles by Jason Boyd and Alexander started the inning and Bucci's sac fly brought Boyd plateward. Ian Law would later drive in Alexander to give Lafayette a 7-2 advantage.
The Leopards put away any thoughts of a Franklin and Marshall comeback with a seven-run sixth inning. Adam Rosenberg, Alexander and Bucci all managaed run-scoring singles while pinch hitter Frank Cortazar (2-2, 2 RBI) connected for an RBI-double. Pinch-hitters James Conrad and Tripp Williams each drove in a run via a sacrifice fly to give Lafayette a 14-2 lead.
In the home seventh, Boyd finished off his 3-for-4 day by plating two more Lafayette runs and Cortazar also knocked in another to put the final at 17-2. The game was called due to darkness in the top of the eighth after the first offering by Lafayette reliever Drew Moyer. Paul Fischetti (1-2), who threw three innings of scoreless, one-hit baseball, earned the win. Don Smith (1 IP, 1 H, 1K, 1 W) and Moyer threw in relief. For Franklin and Marshall, Eck took the loss in his first appearance of the season. He allowed five runs on six hits in three innings of work. Lafayette (3-4) will leave for a more temperate climate on Friday and will begin a seven-game Spring Break swing in California. The Leopards' first game will be at Cal State Heyward at 2 p.m. PT on Saturday. |
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