PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - The Villanova baseball team fell to the Lafayette Leopards 8-6 in the semifinal game of the Liberty Bell Classic on Tuesday afternoon at Villanova Ballpark. The Wildcats scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it a two run deficit. Four different Wildcats had two hits.
Getting the start for the Wildcats was junior
Mike Schwartz, it was his second start of the season. Schwartz pitched three innings allowing only one hit while striking out five.
In the bottom of the first with two outs,
Nick Lorusso singled to left field. The next batter,
JP Radvany doubled to left center field and would score Lorusso from first to make it 1-0 Villanova.
Both teams were held in check in the second and third innings.
Lafayette started the top of the fourth with an infield single to third base, the next batter laid down a sacrifice bunt but reached first after a throwing error. With runners on first and second and no outs, Durrah hit a chopper to Mathes who then threw it to McNary on second to get the force out and turn the double play. McNary was slid into and couldn't make the throw to first so the runner from second rounded third and headed for home. McNary threw it home and
Doug deMarrais tagged the runner out. The next batter singled through the left side to put runners on the corners with two outs. Leckie hit a RBI double down the left field line to tie the game at 1-1 and the runner from first was thrown out at home.
The Panthers took the lead in the top of the fifth as they scored four runs on four hits. They continued to increase their lead in top of the sixth as they scored two more runs to make it 7-1 Lafayette.
The Wildcats started the bottom of the seventh with an infield single by right fielder
Tyler Bruno and then McNary singled through the left side. Lorusso singled to center field to score Bruno from second to make it 7-2 Leopards.
Lafayette hit a leadoff double to right center and then a groundout to McNary moved the runner to third. Russo singled through the right side to score the runner and give Lafayette an 8-2 lead.
With one out in the bottom of the eighth, the Leopards walked four straight batters to score the first Wildcats' run of the inning. A passed ball by Lafayette scored another run for the Wildcats to make it 8-4 Lafayette. Lorusso walked to load the bases with two outs. Radvany followed with another walk to score Bruno. The next batter
Timothy Lilly walked to score McNary and make it 8-6.
A two out double by Bruno in the bottom of the ninth but the Wildcats couldn't do anything with it and the Leopards won 8-6.
The Wildcats open up BIG EAST play this weekend as they welcome the Seton Hall Pirates to Villanova Ballpark for a three game series.
