April 29, 2008

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EASTON, Pa. - Freshman Adam McMahon made his first career hit one to remember as his three-run home run in the bottom of the first gave the Lafayette baseball team a 3-0 lead over Wagner. The Leopards would not relinquish that lead as they went on to an eventual 9-2 win over the Seahawks. Freshman starter Corey Shea threw seven innings of one-run ball to earn his third win of the season.

Three Lafayette batters had multiple hits in the game as the Leopard offense combined for 12 hits on the afternoon. Juniors Daniel Bierce and Chris Luick both finished with three hits while McMahon recorded with a game-high four RBI. Shea struck out five batters and gave up only three hits in the win.

Lafayette (21-21) opened the game with three runs in the bottom of the first thanks to McMahon's homer. Bierce knocked a double to left field with one out and Luick reached base on a fielder's choice. McMahon then came to bat and belted a pitch over the right field wall for a 3-0 Lafayette lead.

Senior Tom Hayes led off the second with an infield single and Ryan Roberts followed with a four pitch walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Hayes scored on a Rob Froio sacrifice fly. Luick hit a RBI single to right field and scored on a wild pitch to make it a 6-0 game and force Wagner starter Chris Marino from the game.

The Leopards tacked on another run in the fourth after Bierce came around to score on a Luick's second RBI hit to make it 7-0.

Shea pitched four innings of no-hit ball before surrendering a leadoff single to Kevin Payne in the top of the fifth. The rookie then got Jack Rice to ground into a double play and struck out Matt Logan swinging to end the inning.

Wagner's Chris Drechsel led off the top of the seventh with a double down the left field line and scored the Seahawks' (18-22) first run of the game on a Jack Rice RBI single to centerfield to make it a 7-1 game.

In the bottom of the seventh, pinch hitter Jeff Butler reached on a walk and scored on pinch hitter Matt Hall's RBI to centerfield to put Lafayette up 8-1. Lafayette loaded the bases with three singles in the bottom of the eighth and McMahon drew a bases loaded walk to score the Leopards' ninth and final run of the afternoon.

Senior reliever Brad Woodfield, who entered the game in the top of the eighth, came out to pitch the ninth and gave up a leadoff triple to Joe Jamison and walked Seth Boyd to put runners on the corners with no one out. Pinch hitter M.J. Dugan ground into a double play, allowing Jamison to come home for a 9-2 score. Woodfield retired Logan to strike out swinging to end the game.

The Leopards are back in action on Wednesday when they host Temple at 3:30 p.m.