The Lehigh men’s baseball team battled rival Lafayette College into an extra inning in the nightcap of its Sunday doubleheader, securing a win that split the day’s games.
The Mountain Hawks (18-25, 12-8 Patriot) lost game one 3-0 and triumphed 5-3 in the second game by scoring two game-winning runs in the extra inning.
Junior second baseman Mike Garzillo and senior outfielder Justin Pacchioli scored the game-winning runs for the Mountain Hawks in the top of the tenth. Pacchioli scored off of a sacrifice fly out to left field by sophomore third baseman Patrick Donnelly, and, after having stolen second base, Garzillo came in with the fifth and final run off of senior shortstop John Elson’s single to center field.
Sunday’s doubleheader comes after a doubleheader on Saturday, as well, where the Mountain Hawks swept Lafayette in both games, winning with scores of 5-4 and 4-2. The weekend wins enable Lehigh to clinch the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League Tournament.
Senior pitcher Nick Stephens started on the mound for the Mountain Hawks in the first game, giving up seven hits and three runs. In the second game, senior Jordan Smith got the start, allowing three hits and no runs, and sophomore first baseman/pitcher Connor Donovan was credited for a save, coming in at the bottom of the tenth to close out the game.
Garzillo was credited with two RBI and a run on the top of the third, driving in Pacchioli and sophomore outfielder Jacen Nalesnik off of a double hit to left center field to put the Mountain Hawks up early in the third. The Leopards made a comeback late in the sixth, with senior Brett Thompson, senior Toby Schwartz and junior Campbell Lipe scoring to tie up the game.
The tie remained until Garzillo and Pacchioli sealed the win for the Hawks with their tenth-inning runs.
The team has just three games left in the regular season and less than two weeks until the Patriot League Tournament, where it will face College of the Holy Cross.
Lehigh will face Iona College on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in New Rochelle, New York.
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