Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
Lafayette
Lafayette Beats Army, 9-7; Game Two Suspended
April 24, 2011 | Baseball
Game One Box Score
EASTON, Pa. - Ben Koenigsfeld went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI, but it was not enough as the Army baseball team dropped a 9-7 decision to Lafayette in the first game of the teams' Patriot League doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Kamine Stadium.
The second game of the conference twinbill was suspended in the top of the 10th inning with the score tied at 6-6. That contest will be resumed from the point of suspension on Monday (April 25) beginning at 12 p.m., prior to the teams' regularly-scheduled doubleheader.
Lafayette (14-20, 8-5 PL) moves into sole possession of first place in the Patriot League standings after securing the victory in today's opener. Army (15-20, 7-6 PL) falls into third place in the conference standings, one game behind the Leopards and a half game behind Navy (8-6 PL).
Army took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning in the opener as Koenigsfeld blasted an opposite field home run over the fence in right field.
Lafayette came back with four runs in the bottom half of the first to assume a 4-1 advantage. The first three Leopards reached base thanks to a catcher's interference and a pair of infield singles. Army starter Logan Lee got A.J. Miller to pop out to shortstop for the first out of the inning, but Lafayette tied the game on Matt Fenster's RBI groundout. The Leopards then surged in front on Scott Kelleher's three-run home run that sailed over the fence in left-center field.
After a scoreless second inning, Army got three runs back in the top of the third to knot the score at 4-4. Zach Price was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, and he moved to second base when Koenigsfeld laced a single through the left side of the infield. Clint Moore then walked to load the bases for Joey Henshaw, who hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Steve May followed with an RBI single up the middle to score Koenigsfeld and make it 4-3. After a balk moved runners to second and third, J.T. Watkins hit a sacrifice fly to right field to knot the score at 4-4.
Lafayette reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the third inning as the Leopards scored three runs on three hits. Brian Davila led off with a ringing single up the middle and Alex Bechta reached on a bunt single to put two men on for Miller, who sent a two-run double into the gap in left-center field. Kelleher then drove in his fourth run of the game as he hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field.
Army came back in the top of the fourth inning, tying the score at 7-7 on Koenigsfeld's second home run of the day. Brent Peterson walked to begin the uprising and Price drew a one-out walk to put runners on first and second for Koenigsfeld, who crushed a three-run shot over the fence in right-center field.
Lafayette pushed across two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 9-7 lead. Andrew Santomauro singled with one out and he advanced to second base when Rob Froio was hit by a pitch. Davila then hit a groundball to that got past May at third base, sending Santomauro to the plate with the go-ahead run. After Bechta flew out to left field, Miller lined an RBI single through the right side of the infield to score Froio with the second run of the frame.
Leopard reliever Sean McGrath (3-3) gave up just one run on two hits over the final 3.1 innings to pick up the win for Lafayette. Lee (3-7) was touched for nine runs (six earned) in a complete game effort. He struck out four and did not issue a walk in six innings of work.
Koenigsfeld finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored to pace the Black Knights at the plate. Miller, Davila and Bechta each registered two hits apiece for the Leopards, who outhit Army 8-7 in the contest.
After three scoreless innings, Army broke on top 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning of the nightcap as the Black Knights scored two runs on two hits and one Lafayette error. Moore and Henshaw hit consecutive singles to open the frame, putting two runners on base for May. The Black Knights' third baseman laid down a sacrifice bunt, which Miller fielded and threw away, allowing Moore to score all the way from second base. Henshaw then scored Army's second run of the inning when Cody Murtle grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
Lafayette bounced back in the bottom half of the fourth inning as the Leopards scored three runs on five hits to assume a 3-2 lead. Bechta lofted a perfectly-placed double down the left field line to lead off the inning and he scored on Fenster's RBI single. Fenster later moved to second base on a wild pitch and he scored the game-tying run on Kelleher's RBI single. Casey followed with a base hit and Santomauro was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Froio, who lined a single that drove home Kelleher with the go-ahead run. Army reliever John Buckley was summoned from the Black Knights' bullpen and he came on and got Davila to fly out to right field on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat and strand three Leopards on the bases.
Army surged in front 5-3 in the top of the seventh inning as the Black Knights scored three runs on three hits. David Darnell and Price drew consecutive one-out walks and Koenigsfeld ripped a line drive single right up the box that scored Darnell from second base. Then, with two outs, Henshaw delivered an RBI single into right-center field to plate Price with the go-ahead run. May capped Army's three-run rally by lining a base hit down the right field line to drive in Koenigsfeld.
Lafayette threatened to do some damage in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Leopards loaded the bases with one out. Gunnar Carroll was called out of the Army bullpen and the Black Knight reliever got Kelleher to fly out to Murtle in shallow right field. Bechta tried to tag and score from third base on the play, but Murtle unleashed a strong and accurate throw to Watkins at the plate to complete the double play and end the inning.
Army tacked on another run in the top of the eighth inning as Peterson singled to center field, moved to second base on Watkins' sacrifice bunt, took third on Darnell's single and scored on Price's base hit.
Lafayette broke through with three runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score at 6-6. The first three Leopards reached base and Froio made it 6-5 as he hit a two-run single through the left side of the infield. Then, after Lafayette re-loaded the bases, Miller hit a sacrifice fly to center field to deliver Santomauro with the game-tying run.
Lafayette starter Ethan Perro allowed just four runs (three earned) on four hits in 6.1 innings of work before Army knocked him out of the game in the seventh. He struck out five, but issued six walks during his outing.
Army starter Nick Dignacco permitted three runs on eight hits before leaving after 3.2 innings.
Neither Army nor Lafayette scored in the ninth inning, and the umpires cleared the field immediately upon hearing a rumble of thunder and just before Army was about to begin the top half of the 10th.
Price, Moore, Henshaw and May each collected two hits apiece to pace Army's offense in the second game. Froio led Lafayette with three base hits in the nightcap.
Game Notes: Army falls to 63-55-2 all-time versus Lafayette after dropping the first game of today's twinbill... Ben Koenigsfeld's has hit four home runs in Army's last six completed games ... Logan Lee threw his third complete game of the season for the Black Knights in the opener ... Nick Dignacco made his first start since March 15 versus Massachusetts when he took the ball to begin the second game today ... Army donned its traditional road gray uniforms with black caps for both games of today's doubleheader.
