Knights Gallop Off With Win
Neumann College scored three runs in the top of the tenth inning to complete a 6-3 comeback victory over Swarthmore at Clothier Fields on Wednesday afternoon.
Scott Dalane '08 got the Garnet on the board early, leading off the bottom of the first with a walk. Second baseman Patrick Christmas '08 (above) moved Dalane up on a base hit to right. Dalane swiped third base and gave Swarthmore a 1-0 lead, scoring on a wild pitch by Knights hurler Nick Lapetina.
Christmas put the Garnet up 2-0 in the fifth, leading off the inning with a triple to right-center and scoring on sacrifice fly by Ian Adelstein '07.
Swarthmore ace Jared Leiderman '05 blanked the Knights for seven frames, fanning seven while scattering four hits.
Neumann got to Leiderman in the top of the eighth, getting back to back singles from Scott Schuler and Eric Shonewolf to put runners on first and second. The next batter, Patrick Boggs, hit a come backer to the mound. Leiderman fired a strike to third baseman Justin Chen '08 for the first out.
Kevin Ahern followed with a one-hopper to up the first base line and a Garnet error allowed Shonewolf to score. Neumann got hit consecutive singles, pushing two more runs across to give the Knights a 3-2 lead. Leiderman struck out Brian Chesnick and induced a fly ball from Matt Backert to end the inning.
The score remained 3-2 when Swarthmore came up in the bottom of the ninth. Pinch hitter Jody Fisher '05 started a rally with a single off Neumann reliever Jeremy Micun. Left fielder Scott Young struck out and Dalane popped out to first, and the Garnet were down to their final out.
On the first pitch thrown, Christmas smoked a ball back through the box and Micun muffed it, putting Swarthmore runners on first and second. Travis Allen '08, hitless in his four previous at bats, drilled the first pitch to right field and pinch runner Jacob Anguiano '07 raced around third. Right fielder Schonewolf made a strong throw, but the ball drifted up the first base line. Anguiano executed a terrific hook-slide, tying the game 3-3. Christmas got caught too far off third base on the play and the Knights alertly caught him in a run down for the third out.
Two miscues and two hits doomed Swarthmore in the top of the tenth, as Neumann scored three times and Knight closer James Jordan shut the door on the Garnet in the bottom of the tenth, sending Neumann to 4-5 on the sesason.
Christmas led Swarthmore (2-5) with a single, triple, and run scored. Leiderman took the loss, pitching 9 1/3 innings, striking out nine and walking only three.
The Garnet continue their non-conference schedule on Sunday, March 20th when they host Marywood in a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader on Clothier Fields.