Lehman Hitters Pound Out Four Homeruns in 14-5 Win Over SUNY Maritime

March 14, 2012

Box Score

BRONX, N.Y. - Edwin Marrero slammed two home runs and drove in six and Wilfredo Gonzalez struck out 11 as the Lehman Lightning improved to 2-0 with a 14-5 win over host SUNY Maritime on Wednesday night.

Overall the Lightning clouted four home runs with Onix Mejia and Stephen Valdes also going yard. Mejia finished 2-for-4 on the day.

Lehman actually took a while to come around with the bats as the team was stymied through five innings by Maritime starter Sal Castagnaro, who held the Lightning scoreless.

While Castagnaro kept Lehman at bay, the Privateers built a 4-0 lead through four thanks to a three-run first inning that was jumpstarted by three Lightning errors. Maritime tacked on its fourth run on an RBI double by Matt Jernegan in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Lightning broke through in the top of the sixth on Marrero's first home run of the game, a three-run shot to left field, and then followed that up with a six-run seventh inning.

The inning began inauspiciously for Maritime as David Painter reached first after striking out. Socrates Peralta was then hit by a pitch. Christian Fadul, looking to sacrifice the runners over not only did that but reached safely himself. An infield fly by Michael Liang temporarily halted the Lightning's building momentum until a wild pitch scored Painter and moved the runners up. Frank Almonte coaxed a walk, but when Marrero went down swinging it looked as if Maritime might escape with minimal damage.

Mejia would have none of it, however, as he singled through the left side to push the Lightning ahead 5-4 and set the stage for the game's biggest blow, a grand slam off the bat of Valdes to break the game open.

Not satisfied with their output in the seventh, the Lightning batters broke out the lumber again in the eighth, scoring five more times on a Maritime error and home runs by Mejia and Marrero.

Gonzalez was outstanding on the mound, yielding only three hits and one earned run over six innings in addition to his 11 punch outs. A grand slam already under his belt, Valdes closed out the game on the hill with three innings of two-hit ball to earn the win.

Lehman will hope that the two day break before its next game against Stevens Institute of Technology on Saturday doesn't cool off its hot bats.

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