FLEMINGTON, N.J. – The Lehman College baseball team earned its first win of the season in the first game of a doubleheader with host Bard College, before dropping the back end. The Lightning won Game One, 6-3, while Bard claimed Game Two, 4-3.

In the opening game, the Lightning got on the board in the first inning, as freshman third basemen Thomas Montilli (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) crossed home plate after a Bard throwing error, to put Lehman up 1-0. Junior shortstop Stephen Smith (Yonkers, N.Y./Saunders) then singled to right-center to score junior outfielder Tom Liang (Bronx, N.Y./Manhattan Center), who had singled earlier in the inning.

The Lightning continued the attack in the top of the second inning, as Montilli singled to left center, scoring senior second basemen Waldo Acosta (Bronx, N.Y./Bread and Roses). Lehman got two additional runs in the third, as Acosta doubled home junior first baseman Justin Moises (Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) and Smith.

After the Raptors cut the deficit to 5-3, the Lightning got an important insurance run in the sixth inning, as Tom Liang earned an RBI on a groundout to third, to give Lehman a 6-3 lead.

Senior pitcher Aneudi Garcia (New York, N.Y./Manhattan Center) earned the victory by going five full innings, giving up three earned runs, and striking out four batters.  Freshman pitcher Francisco Pena (New York, N.Y./Landmark) got the save by pitching two scoreless innings of relief, giving up only one hit.

Acosta had two hits, two runs batted in, and scored one run in the winning effort. Tom Liang had one run batted in, while senior center fielder Michael Liang (Bronx, N.Y./Manhattan Center) had two hits. Montilli scored once and drove in one run on two base hits.

In the second game, the Lightning (3-1) once again scored two runs in the opening inning, then got a solo homerun by Michael Liang with one out on the third, to push the lead to 3-1. However, the Raptors (1-1) scored three unearned runs in the fourth inning and hung on to win, 4-3.

Senior Kevin Hernandez (Bronx, N.Y./DeWitt Clinton) had two hits in the game, while senior outfielder Socrates Peralta (Santo Domingo, D.R./Morris) drove in a run on an infield single. Montilli was saddled with the loss, as he surrendered four unearned runs in 3.2 innings.

Lehman next has a three-game set with the College of Mount Saint Vincent this weekend. Saturday has one game scheduled at CMSV, while the Lightning will host the Dolphins in the home opener on Sunday.