April 1, 2009

Box Score

NEWARK, N.J. - The Lafayette baseball team, which trailed NJIT 4-1 after four innings, scored seven runs over the final three innings en route to an 8-4 win in Newark. The game was called in the bottom of the seventh due to rain.

Freshmen Ethan Perro and Jeff Snell combined to pitch the final four innings after Ryan Hanna went two innings and gave up two runs. Snell tossed two shutout innings to pick up his second win of the season.

Brad Weiss and Rob Froio both had two hits for the Leopards (10-14), who capitalized on four NJIT errors to record their highest scoring output in six games.

Lafayette scored a run in the top of the first on Jeff Butler's RBI double to right center field that scored Daniel Bierce, who had reached on a fielder's choice.

Unfortunately, NJIT (1-16) responded with two runs in the bottom half of that inning. Hanna gave up a RBI double to John Berner that scored two runners to make it 2-1 in favor of the Highlanders.

Perro came on to pitch in the third inning. He gave up two runs, the first of which came on a Bryan Bleakley single to center field that scored Dan Moreno, who had reached base on a one-out double. A RBI groundout by Thomas Farina plated the second run of the inning to make it 4-1.

The Leopards used a three-run fifth inning to tie the game at four. Froio knocked a one-out double to left field, advanced to third on A.J. Pisarri's single, and came around to score on a passed ball. Pisarri then scored on an error by the catcher to make it 4-3, and Justin Shepherd's sac fly allowed Butler to score the tying run.

Lafayette tacked on two more runs the next inning. Weiss led off the inning with a triple and A.J. Miller sent him home with a RBI single to right field. Froio hit into a double play but Miller was able to score on the play, making it a 6-4 ballgame.

NJIT gave up two more runs to the Leopards in the seventh inning. Butler reached on a fielder's choice and another error by the catcher allowed him to take third. A failed pickoff attempt sent Butler home with his team's seventh run, and Matt Hall followed with a triple to score Shepherd, who had reached base on a walk. The game was then called in the bottom of the inning due to rain.

The Leopards travel to Bucknell this weekend and will play doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, with both days beginning at 12 p.m.