Baseball drops season finale, gets set for league tournament

The Lafayette Leopards are ready to make a run at the Patriot League title after finishing up the regular season with a difficult series against Le Moyne and a tough season-finale loss to Rider. The team traveled to Syracuse, New York this past weekend where they dropped the first two games of the series and were the victims of a no-hit performance by Le Moyne's Cory Nelson. On Sunday, starting pitcher Jeremy Atkins '10 prevented the sweep, and on Wednesday pitcher John Gentile '12 struggled in a 10-3 loss to Rider. These games had no impact on the Leopards place in the Patriot League standings, but the team saw it as an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming series against the top seeded Bucknell Bison.

The Leopards encountered strong starting pitching on Saturday, failing to find a rhythm offensively during both ends of the doubleheader. The squad dropped the first game 7-5, and was held to just two runs over eight innings by Le Moyne pitcher Jeff Tardiff.

Lafayette struck first with an RBI double from shortstop Daniel Bierce '09, and catcher A.J. Miller '11 hit a fifth inning solo shot, tying the game at 2-2. The Dolphins answered back, scoring the next five runs and building a 7-2 lead, which was enough to withstand a 9th inning rally by Lafayette. First baseman Jeff Butler '09 had an opportunity to tie the game in the ninth inning with the Leopards down two, but popped up with two men on base.

The Leopards followed up the opener with a frustrating 3-0 loss. Nelson kept the Lafayette batters hitless, allowing just three baserunners. Bierce said the lefty did a terrific job of handling the Lafayette hitters, and said that his ability to stay ahead of batters contributed to his success. "He came at you with a strike to get ahead of hitters a lot and that allowed him to throw off speed and keep you guessing," said Bierce, who was the only Lafayette hitter to get into scoring position after walking and stealing a base in the seventh inning. "He did a good job of keeping hitters off balanced."

Corey Shea '11 had a quality start, allowing three runs and four hits over six innings, but still registered the loss.

Atkins made sure the Leopards would avoid getting swept in the third and final game of the series. Atkins allowed one run over six innings, and center fielder Rob Froio '11 gave the offense a spark as the Leopards defeated the Dolphins 3-2. Bierce said the win was a boost to the Leopard's confidence. "It is always big to come away with a win, no matter which game," he said.

Ryan Hanna '09 pitched 2.2 innings in relief, and Ian Dickson '12 closed out the game and earned the save.

Froio, who went 2-2, and Matt Hall '10, who was 2-4, played well for the Leopards against the Broncs, but it was not enough to overcome a strong Rider start. The Broncs got two runs in the first inning and three in the second, building a lead that Lafayette could not match.

The Leopards received good news this week as three players were named to the Second-Team All-Patriot League. Bierce, Shea, and Hall all received the honor; Bierce was named for the second time in his career.

With the regular season over, the Leopards are prepared to take on the Bucknell Bison on Saturday in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania in a best of three series. The winner will play Army or Holy Cross for the Patriot League championship. Bierce said the Leopards pitchers will need to be sharp against a tough Bucknell offense. "They have a pretty good pitching staff, but their offense is the scary part," he said. "They have a bunch of good hitters throughout their lineup. Thankfully, we have a pitching staff that is ready to step up to the challenge."

Bucknell, who finished Patriot League play with a 13-7 record, is led by manager Gene Depew, who was named Patriot League Baseball Coach of the Year. The Bison started their season with seven consecutive losses, but have made significant strides. Bucknell has winning records against four of their five Patriot League opponents, with the exception of Lafayette. The Leopards took three out of four against the Bison in early April, but Lafayette will be sure not to underestimate the top seeded Bison.

Bierce said the team will need to play at an elite level, but also focus on execution in order to move on to the Patriot League finals. "I know this may sound simple but it is the fundamentals," he said. "Throw strikes to hitters, make plays when the ball is hit, and swing at pitches in the zone. It is as simple as that. If we put those three components together we should be a tough team to beat."

The series will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday, and the third game will be on Sunday if necessary.