Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. – Senior B.J. Hogan ripped a bases-clearing double in the top of the ninth to lead Widener to a come-from-behind 6-5 win over Lebanon Valley in the Commonwealth Conference opener for both teams Friday afternoon at McGill Park.
Widener (8-3, 1-0 CC), which managed only five hits but benefited from three walks and four hit batsmen, won for the seventh time in its last eight games. Senior Tony Meccariello (2-1) went the distance on the mound to pick up the win, scattering eight hits and allowing just two earned runs.
Junior Ryan Dalton also tossed a complete game for Lebanon Valley (7-3, 0-1 CC) but suffered the loss. Dalton (2-1) struck out seven and went the distance for the second time in three starts this season.
Lebanon Valley led 5-3 heading into the top of the ninth, and leadoff batter Matt Fischer struck out looking. After a double by sophomore Brian Campbell, Widener was down to its last out after freshman Matt Gallagher grounded out to third. A hit batsman and walk set the stage for Hogan, who lined a rope into the right-center gap. The inning ended when Hogan was thrown out trying to stretch his game-winning hit into a triple.
Meccariello retired the Flying Dutchmen in order in the bottom of the ninth. After a rough start, he retired the final eight batters he faced and set down 11 of his final 13. He did not allow a hit over the final three innings and blanked LVC over the final five frames.
Hogan finished 2-for-4 while senior Scott Montgomery was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs for the Dutchmen. Sophomore Dan Kelly and freshman Kyle Johansen ripped two hits apiece for LVC while Kelly scored twice.
Dating back to last season, Montgomery has now hit safely in his last 14 games. Senior Ron Weaver singled to stretch his hitting streak to 11.
Widener took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on one hit, two hit batsmen, and a fielder's choice. The Pioneers made it 3-0 in the third when junior Jaime Schild was hit with a pitch, stole second, and advanced to third on a balk. Then with one out, Schild scored on a fielder's choice when LVC third baseman Alex Morrison unsuccessfully attempted to throw him out at the plate.
Lebanon Valley rallied with five runs over the third and fourth innings to take a 5-3 lead. In the second, Kelly scored Montgomery from first with a double down the rightfield line, and Weaver's single to right plated Kelly.
The Dutchmen loaded the bases in the fourth when Johansen singled before Montgomery and Kelly received back-to-back walks three batters later. With all three runners moving on a two-out, 3-2 pitch, Widener's first baseman misplayed a Weaver grounder to empty the bases.
Dalton settled in from the fifth through the eighth innings, when he retired 11 of the 13 batters he faced, and was the beneficiary of an inning-ending fielding gem from Kelly in the sixth. With one out and a runner on first, Kelly, running full speed with his back to the infield, made a diving catch on a rising liner in center. He jumped up and threw a bullet to Montgomery in shallow right-center, who wheeled and pegged the runner going back to first for the rare 8-4-3 double play.
Lebanon Valley will travel to Widener on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at noon.
[Photo - Senior Scott Montgomery, who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored against Widener on Friday]
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