Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. – Lebanon Valley’s Nos. 4-5 hitters – juniors Chris Schank and John Mentzer – combined to go 7-for-8 while sophomore Mike Snyder won his second straight start as the Flying Dutchmen toppled Franklin & Marshall College 8-2 in a non-conference baseball game Sunday afternoon in summer-like weather at McGill Park.
Lebanon Valley (16-15) never trailed after racing out to a 5-0 fourth-inning lead, pounding out eight of its 12 hits over the first four frames.
The Dutchmen have now won 14 of their last 16 games and are on a nine-game winning streak at home.
Schank was a perfect 4-for-4 at the dish for the second time this season. Mentzer finished 3-for-4 and stretched his hitting streak to 17 games.
Senior Dan Kelly added a 2-for-5, three-RBI performance for the Dutchmen.
Snyder limited Franklin & Marshall (19-11) to six hits and one run over seven innings. He blanked the Diplomats over the first five frames before allowing his only run in the sixth on two hits and one error.
The Dutchmen jumped on F&M starter Matt Kalos for two runs on three hits in the first. Kelly drove in a run with a single before getting caught stealing. But Schank followed up with a ringing double to left-center, then scored on a single from Mentzer through the left side.
In the fourth, Lebanon Valley gave itself some breathing room, scoring three times on five hits. Schank and Mentzer ripped back-to-back singles before a sacrifice bunt from senior Richie Schwartz. Sophomore Brandon Stoothoff then cleared the bases, chopping a single up the middle, and three batters later freshman Grant Wiest capped the scoring with a bloop RBI-single down the rightfield line.
The Valley put up another three-spot in the sixth against reliever Jason Anderson to assume an 8-1 lead. The Dutchmen had two hits and two walks in the inning, and one F&M error made all three runs unearned. Freshmen Joe Kopchick and Charlie Parker drew back-to-back one-out walks before Wiest reached on an error to load the bases. Junior Corey Lamoureux followed up with an RBI-groundout before Kelly drove home two runs with a sinking liner that got by a diving rightfielder for a double, making it 8-1.
Junior Kyle Caruthers came on to throw a scoreless eighth before Wiest pitched the ninth and allowed F&M’s second run while striking out two.
Snyder (2-1) finished with three strikeouts and two walks while Kalos (0-5) yielded five runs on eight hits.
Lebanon Valley continues its three-game homestand on Tuesday, when it hosts Alvernia College in another non-conference game starting at 3:30 p.m.
[Photo - Junior Chris Schank]
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