Game 1 Box Score  Game 2 Box Score

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley College baseball team entered its final Commonwealth Conference regular season series of the year with Susquehanna University knowing that it needed a sweep to qualify for the Commonwealth Conference playoffs.

After claiming a 5-3 decision over the Crusaders on Thursday in the nine-inning game at LVC, the Flying Dutchmen clinched their first postseason playoff appearance since 2002 by sweeping the Crusaders on the road on Saturday, winning the opener 5-3 in eight innings before nailing down a 6-3 victory in the nightcap.

Lebanon Valley (14-21, 11-10 CC) will enter the four-team Commonwealth Conference tournament as the fourth seed and will face top-seeded Juniata College at 4 p.m. on Thursday at Owl’s Field in West Lawn. Third-seeded Elizabethtown College will face second-seeded Widener University in Thursday’s other first-round game.

The sweep completes a stirring comeback for the Dutchmen, who started the season 2-6 in conference play, lost seven Commonwealth games by one run, and trailed for the final playoff spot the entire season.

In the first game, it was 3-3 in the top of the eighth when junior Derek Helwig stepped to the plate with runners on second and third and two out. He grounded a ball to third, but a low throw to first allowed junior Richie Schwartz to score from third and sophomore John Mentzer to score from second.

Senior Taylor Sgrignoli blanked the Crusaders (12-19-1, 10-11 CC) in the bottom of the inning to finish off an six-hit, complete-game victory, improving to 2-2 on the season. He struck out four and walked one.

Freshman Bert Malloy and Mentzer each went 2-for-4 in the opener for LVC while Malloy scored a pair of runs. Schwartz also drove in a run for the Dutchmen.

Reliever Bud Schmidt suffered the loss in the opener for Susquehanna.

In the nightcap, LVC broke out to a 5-1 lead behind a 3-for-4 game at the plate from junior Dan Kelly, who is now one hit shy of reaching 100 for his career. Schwartz finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs while Mentzer went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a solo home run.

Freshman Travis Smart got the start on the mound for the Dutchmen, and he worked four innings to pick up the win. After senior Ryan Dalton tossed 1 2/3 innings of relief, freshman Nick Faria came to blank the Crusaders over the final 1 1/3 to earn his third save of the season, the most by an LVC pitcher since Jeff Intoccia ’02 had three in 2001.

Smart (4-2), who was making his first appearance in 15 days due to an injury, struck out one and walked none.

Susquehanna starter Brian Diebold took the loss in Game Two.

Lebanon Valley plays its regular season finale on Monday, when it visits Delaware Valley College at 3:30 p.m. in a non-conference game.

[Photo - Sophomore John Mentzer, who was 3-of-7 with three RBIs and a home run in LVC's playoff-clinching doubleheader sweep at Susquehanna on Saturday]

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