April 2, 2006

Box Score Game 1
Box Score Game 2

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Lafayette baseball split a Sunday doubleheader with Army, dropping the opener 3-2 before rallying to claim the season series (3-1) by virtue of a 5-4 win in the nightcap.

In the series finale, Lafayette put four runs on the board in the first inning to seize the momentum and give starter Kevin Reese some room to work with. In that opening inning, Mike Raible had an RBI-single, but the big blow of the inning came from Joe Ezekiel whose second home run in as many days, a three-run home blast, gave Lafayette a 4-0 lead.

Army answered with an RBI-triple from Chris Simmons in the bottom of the first, but Lafayette took that run back in the second inning. Sophomore Tom Hayes, who hit .571 (8-for-14) in the Army series, singled in Dave Drechsel who led off the inning with an infield single.

In the fifth and the sixth, the Black Knights slowly cut into Lafayette's 5-1 lead with a lone run in each inning. Reese pitched into the eighth, getting the first out, before giving up a triple to Milan Dinga. Head coach Joe Kinney made his to the bullpen bench for John Fugett. Fugett gave up a double to Simmons to bring Army within one (5-4), but got the final two outs of the inning to preserve the Lafayette lead. He unceremoniously retired Army in order in the ninth for his third save of the season.

Reese (2-0) earned his second win in as many starts. He threw 7.1 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Army starter Drew Clothier (0-2) gave up all five of Lafayette's runs on nine hits in the loss.

Hayes and Ezekiel accounted for four of Lafayette's 10 hits with two apiece. Ezekiel made the most of his AB's in the series, going 4-for-6 with six RBI and two home runs.

The first game on Sunday was a pitcher's duel with Army pushing across the winning run in the bottom of the sixth of the seven inning game to claim a 3-2 decision.

Lafayette and Army matched each other's offensive output in nearly every inning. Neither team scored until the fourth inning when the Leopards scored the first run of the game. Lafayette benefited from a pair of Army errors in the fourth, the second one scoring Kevin Leasure who had reached on a single.

Army quickly re-tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Barnes Connell slapped a two-out triple to left center and the Black Knights knotted the score at 1-1 when J.P. Polchinski singled to left to score Connell.

In the bottom of the fifth, Army took the lead with three singles, the final of which came from Chris Simmons and plated Kyle Scogin. With one out in the inning and runners on first and second, Jason Morytko came out of the bullpen to relieve starter Ted Gjeldum (4.1 IP, 7H, 2 R). Morytko got the final two outs of the inning to end the rally.

The Leopards tied the game 2-2 in the top of the sixth by playing small ball. Tom Ambrosole drew a lead-off walk. Leasure attempted to bunt him to second, but a fielding error left both runners safe. Hayes loaded the bases with no outs with a bunt single. Army went to the bullpen to replace starter Cole White with Dan Pluff. He got a flyout before Chris Luick's fielder's choice scored Ambrosole to tie the game.

The Black Knights scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning and held Lafayette scoreless in the seventh. Tony Capozzi's two-out single kept the inning going. He stole second and Andrew Ernesto drove him in with the game-winning single for a 3-2 Army victory.

Lafayette won the four-game weekend series with Army 3-1.

Morytko (0-1) took the loss, tossing the final 1.2 innings while giving up one run on two hits. Pluff (1-0) pitched the sixth and received the win, while Dinga tossed the seventh for his fifth save of the season. The Army pitching staff held Lafayette to just four hits in the game.

Lafayette will next play on Tuesday when it hosts Villanova in the semifinals of the Liberty Bell Classic at 3:30 p.m. The winner of that game will advance to the title game which will be played at the Philadelphia Phillies' Citizen's Bank Park at a date to be determined.

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