Box Score
VALHALLA, N.Y. – The #3 Lehman College baseball team fell to #2 Baruch, 15-4, in the opening game of the CUNY Athletic Conference Championships, at Westchester Community College on Thursday afternoon. The Lightning will look to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament on Saturday, when they take on #4 City College at MCU Park on Coney Island, beginning at 1:00 p.m.
 
The Lightning (14-13) opened the scoring in the top half of the second, producing two runs on four hits. Senior pitcher Stephen Smith (Yonkers, N.Y./Saunders) drove in the first run on a single, scoring freshman third baseman Christopher Lopez (Bronx, N.Y./Lehman H.S.), to give Lehman a 1-0 advantage. The next batter, freshman outfielder Carlo Francisco (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers), produced an RBI single of his own, to score senior first baseman Carlos Alcantara (Yonkers, N.Y./Saunders), giving the Lightning a two-run lead.

The Bearcats (13-21) answered by scoring eleven unanswered runs, including seven in the home half of the fifth, to break the game open.

On the mound, Smith started the game, giving up 10 earned runs on seven hits, while striking out seven batters, in 4.2 innings pitched to take the loss. Sophomore pitcher Thomas Montilli (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) pitched 3.1 innings in relief, giving up four earned runs on seven hits, while striking out four batters.

At the plate, Alcantatra produced three hits, including a solo home run. Francisco also had three hits, while driving in two runs.  Montilli produced two hits, including an RBI single, while Lopez had a pair of hits of his own. Sophomore outfielder Socrates Arevalo (Bronx, N.Y./South Bronx) added a single.