Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. – It was Senior Day Friday afternoon at McGill Park, and seniors led the way in Lebanon Valley's 6-4 Commonwealth Conference win over Albright in the Flying Dutchmen's home finale.
Dennis Reilly threw six innings to earn the win on the mound, Ron Weaver went 3-for-4 with a home run, Scott Montgomery homered, and Craig Denlinger hurled the last three innings to pick up his second collegiate save as the four seniors lifted the Dutchmen to their fourth straight victory.
Lebanon Valley's win, combined with Widener's 11-0 victory over Moravian, eliminated Albright (15-19, 9-10 CC) from Commonwealth Conference playoff contention.
The Dutchmen (18-15, 8-11 CC) are now assured of their first winning season since finishing 26-19 in 2002.
Reilly (2-1) and Albright starter David Ganovsky (6-2) locked up in a pitcher's dual early, as the two hurlers combined to allow only six hits and two runs over the first five and a half innings. Reilly retired the first six batters he faced before the Lions scratched out a run in the third on a single, a sacrifice, and a check-swing single from No. 9 hitter Kyle Wenrich.
Ganovsky yielded only a bunt single over the first three innings and retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced before the Dutchmen tied it up in the fourth with an unearned run. Denlinger reached on an error to lead off and scored on a fielder's choice three batters later.
Lebanon Valley took the lead for good in the fifth. With two outs, sophomore leftfielder Dan Kelly singled before Weaver stepped in and crushed the first pitch well beyond the rightfield wall. His third homer of the season and the 10th of his career put LVC up 3-1.
The Dutchmen broke the game open with a three-run, five-hit seventh. After an Alex Morrison sacrifice fly, Montgomery lifted a 1-1 pitch over the leftfield wall for a two-run homer, his second long ball of the season, to give the Valley a 6-1 cushion. Albright rallied with two runs in the eighth, then scored again in the ninth on a double, a groundout, and a passed ball to make it 6-4. But Denlinger induced a groundout to end the game and picked up his first save since his freshman season.
Kelly finished 3-for-4 and made a leaping catch into the wall in the sixth to rob an Albright batter of an extra-base hit.
Reilly, who threw three innings of scoreless relief two days earlier in a 7-5 win over McDaniel, allowed only one run on four hits. He walked three and struck out two. Denlinger yielded three runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk while fanning three.
Pitching on three days rest after throwing seven innings against Messiah on Monday, Ganovsky gave up six runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings. He walked none and struck out one.
Lebanon Valley and Albright conclude their season on Saturday, when they meet in a doubleheader at noon in Reading.
[Photo - Senior Ron Weaver, who was 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in his final home game Friday afternoon in LVC's 6-4 win over Albright]
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