*PLEASE NOTE: Today's PSAC East doubleheader was played in Lock Haven because of unplayble field conditions in West Chester. WCU was the home team today.
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University baseball team (11-4, 3-1 PSAC East) opened up Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division play in style, splitting today's games while taking three out of four in the team's weekend series with No. 6 West Chester University (11-6, 1-3 PSAC East). LHU was able to win a tight 3-2 game in the first game of the doubleheader today while falling 12-9 in the final game of the series.
Yesterday (Friday, March 23), the Bald Eagles scored a combined 29 runs on 28 hits and swept the sixth-ranked Golden Rams, 14-12 and 15-1.
GAME 1:
The Bald Eagles used solo home runs from both
Cayden Stover (Beech Creek, Pa./Chesapeake College) and
Nick Stotler (Pittsburgh/Coker College), and a strong-pitcher effort from starter
Avery Eddy (Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville) to hold off West Chester in Game 1 today, 3-2.
Stover homered in the first to make it 1-0 and he drove in a run in the fifth to make it 2-1. Stotler's home run to left field in the seventh gave the stretched the LHU lead to 3-1, but it proved to the game-winner in the end.
Stover was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and Stotler finished 2 for 4 as well. Both
Liam McArthur (Basking Ridge, N.J./Seton Hall) and
Justin Sleigh (Dubois, Pa./Dubois) were also 2 for 4 at the plate as Lock Haven scored three runs on nine total hits in Game 1 today.
Eddy went 6 1/3 innings on the way to the win. He struck out three, walked one and scattered six hits.
Breton LaRose (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Sacred Heart) worked the final 1 2/3 innings on the way to another save.
GAME 2:
West Chester was able to jump on LHU early thanks to a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to jump out to a 2-0 lead. The Haven responded immediately in the top of the second when the Bald Eagles were able to score two runs highlighted by an RBI single by
Jimmy Webb (Williamsport, Pa./Wake Forest).
The Golden Rams used a seven run fifth inning to take control of the ballgame and jump ahead 10-2, but LHU was ready to respond again.
The Bald Eagles scored seven runs in the final two innings of play to make the game close, but West Chester was able to make some nice plays at the end to seal the deal and avoid the sweep.
The Lock Haven offense was led by Webb and
Joe Zgleszewski (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) as they both tallied two hits in the game. Webb went 2-4 with two RBIs while Zgleszewski went a perfect 2-2 with three RBIs.
UP NEXT:
Lock Haven and West Chester will play again tomorrow (Saturday, March 24). The PSAC East doubleheader will be played in Lock Haven, as West Chester's field remains unplayable because of the recent snow storm. Despite playing on their home field tomorrow, the Bald Eagles will be the away team.
NOTES:
Friday's (March, 23) Game 1: Lock Haven and West Chester combined for 26 runs on 32 hits and after jumping to a big lead, the Bald Eagles held off the defending national champions …
Breton LaRose was credited with a save … It was his 13
th career save which established a school record.
Friday's (March 23) Game 2: Despite another huge offensive output (15 runs on 11 hits), pitcher
Scott Leitholf was huge part of the win … The true-freshman right-hander shutdown the West Chester bats … Leitholf improved to 3-0 on the season with a two-hit gem … He struck out three and allowed three walks on the way to the complete-game win … Leitholf had a no-hitter going through four.
