April 15, 2008

Box Score

BETHLEHEM, PA - Both teams got strong pitching performances, but in the end Lehigh's performance was a bit stronger and the Mountain Hawks defeated visiting NJIT, 5-1, in Tuesday afternoon baseball action.

Lehigh's 6-foot-7 freshman RHP Mike Lebo (1-1) went all nine innings, allowing four hits and a run, while striking out seven and walking two for his first college win.

The starting pitcher for NJIT was junior LHP PJ Saporito, who was the hard-luck loser after his best performance in some time. He pitched five complete innings and faced one batter in the sixth, for a final line of: 5 IP; 6 hits; 5 runs (2 earned); with a strikeout and no walks. Sophomore RHP Spiro Molfetas pitched a strong three relief innings, holding the Mountain Hawks scoreless on two hits and four strikeouts without a walk.

Freshman DH Andy Russell (3-for-4) was the only Lehigh batter with more than one hit and he drove in the team's first run with a two-out triple in the first inning.

NJIT's junior CF and leadoff man Craig Binkiewicz finished 2-for-2 with a walk and scored the only run for the Highlanders. DH Matt Schlitter drove in the run--his team-leading 20th and SS Miguel Lugo and RF Dom Hayes accounted for the remaining two Highlander hits.

Binkiewicz led off the game with a single and stole second before going to third on a wild pitch. After an out, Schlitter lofted a sacrifice fly to right field, sending Binkiewicz across the plate with the only Highlander tally.

In the bottom of the first, Lehigh took advantage of a two-out outfield error, which enabled SS Brendan McGaheran to reach second base. Russell then brought McGaheran home with a triple to center field, tying the game at 1-1.

Freshman 1B Joe Bellini followed with a run-scoring single to drive in Russell and Lehigh had all the runs it would need to win the game.

SS Liam O'Connor led off the next inning for Lehigh with a single and moved to second on a balk. Freshman C Greg Turcotte followed with his first career RBI on a single through the right side to score O'Connor. Turcotte later scored on a sac fly by CF Joe Ercolano that increased Lehigh's lead to 4-1. The Mountain Hawks added one more run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI groundout by O'Connor that scored Russell.

The Highlanders will play again on Wednesday, heading to the Trenton area for a 3:30 pm game at Rider in Lawrenceville, NJ.