Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
The Lehman College baseball team (5-12 Overall, 1-5 CUNYAC) split a pair of wild games with the Bears of St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn on Wednesday evening, falling in game one by a score of 15-12 before rallying to win game two 11-10 at the South Field in the Bronx.
In game one for the Lightning, William Rivera got the start and he struggled for Lehman College, allowing nine runs (all earned) in 3.2 innings pitched while giving up nine hits, walking three, and striking out one batter. Rivera did have a 10-5 lead to work with as the game moved into the top of the fourth inning, but he was removed from the contest with two outs in the fourth after the Bears had cut their deficit to one, at 10-9. Lehman's Francisco Sanchez would come on and work out of a jam, but it would be the next inning that would decide the game, as Sanchez would allow six runs (only one earned) in the top of the fifth inning, as St. Joseph's took a 15-10 and never looked back from there. The six run fifth was helped by three Lehman errors.
Danny Contant got the start for the Bears and he received a no-decision as he hurled two innings and allowed eight runs (seven earned) on six hits while walking five and striking out four. Mykelle Cortez came on in the third inning and he picked up the win, grinding it out and pitching five innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits while walking four and striking out four.
Offensively for St. Joseph's College of Brooklyn, it was Kevin Diaz putting forth a monster game at the dish, as he smashed three homeruns, finished 4-for-5, scored four runs and drove in six. Leadoff hitter Joseph Boccia singled three times and stole a base in game one, and Kevin Juricich fell a homerun short of the cycle, as he picked up a single, double, and triple while scoring a pair of runs and driving in two.
The Lightning saw many players have terrific first games at the plate, as Raul Cordero continued his terrific season by singling three times and finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Matthew Arvelo doubled, singled, and drove in three runs, and outfielder Bobby Villante drilled a pitch onto the softball field down the left field line – his first homerun of the season – and he finished 1-for-3 with four runs scored, two walks, and a run batted in.
In game two of the evening, the Lightning got out to a slow start, as Lehman College fell behind 7-0 after an inning and a half of play. Arturo Lazaro Jr. got the call for the Lightning in the nightcap and he struggled, hurling three innings and allowing nine runs (all earned) on nine hits while walking three and striking out two. It was the relief pitching that kept Lehman at bay and eventually won Lehman College the game – as Denis Schwuchow pitched three spirited innings and allowed just one unearned run, and Brian Cubero hurled the seventh inning and picked up the win by not allowing a hit. He did walk two batters, but he escaped a jam.
Entering the bottom of the second inning trailing 7-0, the Lightning gradually would chip away, plating three runs in the bottom of the second and another run in the bottom of the third to cut their deficit to 7-4. After St. Joseph's would get two runs back in the top of the fourth to make it 9-4, the Lightning would put up a four-spot in the fourth, making it a 9-8 game in favor of the Bears after four innings of play.
Lehman College would continue to stay on the heels of the Bears, as the Lightning trailed 10-9 heading into their final at-bat. With two runners on base and one out in the seventh, Lehman veteran Amadoernesto Guzman ripped a double down the line – and the ball eventually rolled into a dead area, forcing the potential winning run – Jeremy Lopez – to stop at third base. Then, with runners on second and third, Matthew Arvelo picked up a seeing-eye single that got through to center field, as Lopez trotted home giving Lehman a thrilling, come-from-behind 11-10 triumph.
Chris Coffey got the start and received a no-decision for the Bears as he hurled three innings, allowing eight runs (six earned) on seven hits while walking three and striking out three. Paul Piccirillo came on in relief and pitched well but received the loss, tossing 3.1 innings, allowing three runs (just one earned) on five hits while walking one and striking out three.
Offensively for Lehman College in the terrific game two victory, Guzman was a triple short of the cycle, as he hit a homerun while also recording a crucial double, as well as a single. He finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored and five driven in. Jeremy Lopez singled three times, finished 3-for-5, scored two runs (one being the winning run) and picked up an RBI, and Villante dented the dish twice.
For St. Joseph's, despite the game two defeat, it was Jon Mendez finishing 3-for-4 with a double, two singles, three runs scored and two runs batted in, and Diaz – who had a phenomenal game one – singled twice and scored two runs.
The Lightning will return to action Saturday evening as Lehman College will welcome the Beavers of CCNY to the South Field for a CUNYAC contest, with first-pitch scheduled for 6:00pm.
