The baseball team was swept by Army over the weekend but regrouped on Wednesday, snapping the skid with a win over Saint Peter’s University.
In the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader versus Army (15-8 Patriot League, 26-17 overall), the Leopards (5-18 Patriot League, 10-32 overall) fell behind early after a defensive error extended the second inning, leading to a three-run home run that gave Army control. The Black Knights added three more runs in the third to go up 6-0.
Lafayette got on the board in the fourth when junior catcher Brandon Doubek doubled and later scored on an RBI double from sophomore infielder Boden Fernsler. The Leopards made a late push in the seventh, loading the bases before sophomore infielder Alex Barrist drove in two runs with a single to cut the deficit to 6-3, but the rally stalled shortly after.
Game two proved to be tighter, as the Maroon and White jumped ahead 3-0 after the second, and home runs from sophomore outfielder Jack Mislan and junior infielder Matt Colella gave the visitors a 9-6 advantage in the top of the seventh. However, Army chipped away and tied the game in the eighth before a walk, a hit by pitch and a wild pitch in the ninth allowed the winning run to score for a 10-9 walk-off loss.
Junior right-handed pitcher Ben Waterman carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of Monday’s series finale, striking out seven while the Leopard offense built a 5-0 lead. The Black Knights’ first two hits off Waterman were enough to undo the damage, however, as an RBI single and a grand slam tied the game at five apiece.
Senior outfielder Bode Grieve put the Maroon and White back on top with a three-run home run in the top of the ninth, but Army answered right back in the bottom of the frame and launched a walk-off solo shot in the tenth to complete the sweep.
After a stretch of close losses and late-inning swings, the Leopards broke through with a 10-run first inning to power past Saint Peter’s (4-37 overall) on Wednesday at home.
Freshman infielder Will Dobil slashed a leadoff single to get things started. Doubek cleared the bases with a three-run homer after Colella walked, and sophomore outfielder Jack Mislan followed with a solo homer of his own. Grieve, junior utility player Luke Caucci, Dobil, Colella and Doubek added on one more hit each for the Leopards, ending the frame with nine hits.
Doubek added his fifth RBI in the third inning on a sacrifice fly. Heading into the bottom of the seventh up 12-4, Mislan and Caucci each belted off RBI singles to force a mercy-rule win up 10.
The Leopards will host Holy Cross (12-11 Patriot League, 20-25 overall) this weekend in their final Patriot League series of the regular season.