Seton Hall University
Lehigh
Baseball Falls Late at Lehigh, 3-2
4/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 23, 2014
BETHLEHEM, PA. - Sophomore Derek Jenkins (Annandale, N.J.) reached base three times, but the Seton Hall Baseball team left 10 men on base in a 3-2 loss at Lehigh on Wednesday.
Jenkins went 1-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and three stolen bases in the losing effort.
Seton Hall (28-9) took advantage of some shoddy Lehigh defense in the top of the second. Errors by Lehigh's third baseman and shortstop put two runners on base with two outs. Jenkins hit an infield single to score Joe Poduslenko (Glen Mills, Pa.) and the Pirates took an early 1-0 lead.
Seton Hall starter Sam Burum (Robbinsville, N.J.) had pitched to the minimum through three innings, but Lehigh got their offense going with one out in the fourth. Five straight Mountain Hawks reached base (four singles and a hit-by-pitch), which resulted in two runs. Zack Prendergast (Horsham, Pa.) entered in relief and got the final two outs without further damage.
Lehigh (20-19) kept their 2-1 advantage until the top of the eighth inning. With two outs, D.J. Ruhlman (Belle Mead, N.J.) hit a single past third base. Alex Falconi (Freeport, N.Y.) followed with a hard-hit double past the left fielder to score Ruhlman from first with the tying run.
The tie however, didn't last long. Steve Lombardi (Saddle River, N.J.) allowed a single to his lone batter to lead off the bottom of the eighth. He was relieved by Conor Krauss (Randolph, N.J.), who walked his first batter. With runners on first and second, Lehigh's Connor Faust hit into a fielder's choice. The Pirates got the out at second, but Faust beat the throw at first. Meanwhile, Mike Garzillo kept running and scored the go-ahead run from second base on the play. Krauss retired the next two batters, but the damage had already been done.
In the ninth inning, Seton Hall got the tying run to third base, but couldn't bring him home.
In all, Seton Hall left 10 men on base in the loss.
Lombardi was saddled with the loss.
Tyler Boyd (Succasunna, N.J.) had a team-best two hits.
Seton Hall will return to action this Friday, April 25 for the first of a three-game series against BIG EAST rival Villanova at Owen T. Carroll Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
