Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. – Freshman Travis Smart fired a four-hit shutout in the opener, and junior Matt Sanders allowed only a pair of runs over 7 2/3 innings in the nightcap as the Lebanon Valley College baseball team earned a split with conference frontrunner Widener University in a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader Sunday afternoon at McGill Park.
Lebanon Valley (6-16, 4-7 CC) won the first game 9-0 before suffering a 2-1, eight-inning loss in Game Two. It was LVC's first extra-inning game since defeating Coe College 8-6 in eight innings in the team's second game of the season during its spring break trip to Arizona. Widener's Brian Campbell threw a complete-game victory in the nightcap and drove home what held up as the game-winning run in the top of the eighth.
The Flying Dutchmen, who out-hit Widener (18-6-1, 8-2-1 CC) 22-11 over the twinbill, got a 5-for-7 day at the plate from junior Richie Schwartz.
Smart, who came away with his first collegiate shutout, was in a groove right from the start, as he retired the first nine batters he faced. The Pioneers got their first baserunner in the fourth, when Bill Davis led off with a bunt single. Brian Campbell followed up with a bunt single of his own, but a baserunning mistake and a heads-up play by senior catcher Matt Rich short-circuited the rally. Rich came up with the ball in front of the plate, and without a play at first, he gunned the ball to third, where Davis overran the bag and was tagged out by senior Alex Morrison for the first out of the inning. Smart then induced Widener's Nos. 3-4 hitters to ground out.
Widener, which managed just five baserunners the game, put up its only real threat in the sixth, getting a one-out single and double from Davis and Campbell, respectively. But Smart got a pop-out and groundout to escape the jam.
Widener starter Tristan Harner also threw well early, allowing only a single over the first two innings. But the Dutchmen erupted for five runs on seven hits over the third and fourth. Junior Dan Kelly, sophomore Corey Lamoureux, and Schwartz all had an RBI in LVC's three-run, four-hit third. Schwartz knocked in another run in the Valley's two-run, three-hit third, as did freshman Bert Malloy.
Lebanon Valley put the game out of reach in the sixth, when it plated four runs on four hits and sent all nine batters to the plate for the second time. Schwartz and sophomore John Mentzer each drove in a run with a single before junior Brad Brandt chased home two more with a single of his own.
Smart (3-2), who struck out four and walked one, got 14 ground-outs and two fly-outs. He threw only 77 pitches, 49 of which were strikes.
Harner (2-2) threw all six innings for the Pioneers.
Schwartz finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs in Game One while Malloy and Rich were both 2-for-4. Lamoureux scored three runs in the opener.
Sanders found himself engaged in a pitcher's dual with Widener's Brian Campbell in the nightcap, as both pitchers threw shutout ball over the first five innings. After Davis singled to lead off the game, Sanders retired 10 of the next 11 batters before No. 3 hitter Josh McLeod ripped a line drive into the right-center gap with two out in the fourth. But Schwartz tracked it down and made a strong relay throw to Lamoureux, who fired a bullet to Morrison at third to nab McLeod in plenty of time to end the inning.
The Pioneers finally broke through in the sixth to score their first run of the day. Davis led off with a double and scored two batters later when No. 3 hitter Jamie Schild blasted a high fly ball to deep center for a run-scoring double. Sanders then got a fly-out to get out of the jam.
Davis' run ended a string of 21 straight scoreless innings, which spanned over parts of four games, recorded by LVC pitchers in Commonwealth Conference play. Prior to Smart's shutout in the first game, Sanders and freshman Nick Faria had combined to blank Messiah College in the nightcap of a doubleheader last Saturday.
The Dutchmen answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie it 1-1, although LVC very nearly took the lead. After a Lamoureux single, a Malloy fielder's choice, and a Schwartz single, Mentzer whacked a one-out single through the left side to score Malloy from second. Two batters later, Brandt stroked a grounder to third that took a high hop off the lip of the infield to get by the third baseman. Leftfielder Zak Atiram scooped up the ball and made a throw to the plate that just beat Schwartz for the final out of the inning.
Sanders got the first two outs in the eighth, but Davis ignited another rally with a double to center. Campbell helped himself with a double to center to easily score Davis from second. Senior Taylor Sgrignoli then came on to get a ground-out.
The Dutchmen threatened with two out in the eighth, as Schwartz singled and Mentzer walked before both runners moved up a bag on a passed ball. Brandt then worked a full count before blooping the ball into left, but it hung up just long enough for Atiram to settle underneath for the game's final out.
Campbell (4-0) scattered 10 hits, walked two and struck out four while staying perfect on the season. Sanders (1-2) yielded seven hits, walked none, and tied a career-high with seven strikeouts.
Lebanon Valley and Widener will complete their three-game season series on Monday back at McGill Park, where the two teams will face off at 3:30 p.m. in a nine-inning game. The single game was originally scheduled to be played at Widener, but has been moved to LVC due to field renovations. Widener will serve as the home team.
[Photo - Freshman Travis Smart, who threw a four-hit shutout over Widener on Sunday]
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