Apr. 21, 2011

Box Score

Take a look at the box score from Thursday night's baseball game between Lehman and visiting SUNY Maritime under the lights on the South Field and you'd think that the Pioneers squandered opportunity after opportunity with runners in scoring position.

But while Maritime was never retired in order by Lightning pitching, leaving 14 men on base, it was mainly a product of the Lightning flashing some serious leather in the field and its pitchers making some quality pitches at key times that kept the visitors at bay.

Looking to snap a six game losing streak, the Lightning got on the board in the bottom of the first. Jhon Comas Disla led off with a well struck double to right center for the Lightning and eventually scampered home on a heads up baserunning play when Michael Liang was caught stealing at second later in the inning.

In the top of the second Lehman starter Arturo Lazaro faced his first crisis of the game, putting the first two runners on base. The senior righty got tough to strike out Christopher Myers and Max Lockwood to strand two.

Lehman gained some breathing room in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by Brandon Negron and a two-run double by Comas Disla. The Lightning shortstop's scorched drive nearly missed being a home run as the ball slammed halfway up the light post in right centerfield.

Maritime answered in the top of the third, stringing together three hits in a row, two of which, a double by Joey Semler and a single by Matt Jernegan, plated runs for the Pioneers. Once again, though, Lazaro beared down to escape a two-on, one-out jam without any further harm, striking out Ryan Simpson and Randy Heidanus.

Lazaro settled down to hold the Pioneers scoreless from the fourth through seventh innings. However, the zeroes didn't come without some tense moments for the Lightning.

In the seventh, after a one-out walk to Semler and a subsequent steal of second base, Lazaro was helped out by Comas Disla, who ranged far to his left to run down Jernegan's shot up the middle and throw out the Maritime junior at first. The next batter, Simpson, hit a tracer back to the mound that Lazaro snared to end the threat and the inning with Lehman still ahead 4-2.

The Lightning picked up some insurance in its half of the seventh. With two outs and the bases loaded and the Pioneers having just made the decision to walk the dangerous Comas Disla (already 2-for-3 with three well struck balls), freshman Michael Liang came through in a big way for Lehman, hammering a bases-clearing double over the head of leftfielder Nick Galli to increase the Lightning lead to 7-2.

The Pioneers were not done yet, however, as they got to a tiring Lazaro in the eighth. Having gotten two outs with two strikeouts sandwiched around a base hit by Heidanus, Lazaro proceeded to give up an RBI base hit to Jonathan Proscia and back-to-back walks to Gallie and Matthew Montanes.

At that point, Lehman head coach John Foster made the decision to go to the pen, summoning ace Brian Cubero to shut the door. Upon entering, Cubero walked the first batter he faced, Semler, to force home a run and make the score 7-4, but then rebounded to strike out Jernegan to leave the bases loaded.

Maritime had one last threat in it in the ninth, putting the first two runners on base. Cubero was up to the task, though, striking out Heidanous and then getting Ed Martinez to ground into a well-turned, game-ending 6-4-3 double play.

Cubero was credited with his first save of the season, while Lazaro picked up the win for his gutty seven and two thirds innings of work.