Box Score
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Junior John Mentzer drove in five runs and broke Lebanon Valley’s single-season RBI record as the Flying Dutchmen baseball team defeated host Susquehanna University 14-8 in the opener of Lebanon Valley’s final Commonwealth Conference regular season series of the year Thursday afternoon.
Lebanon Valley (17-16, 12-7 CC) led 14-1 before the Crusaders scored seven runs over the seventh and eighth innings.
With their win, the Dutchmen, who set a season-high for runs scored, pulled to within a half game of conference leader Elizabethtown (12-6). Lebanon Valley can now clinch its second straight Commonwealth Conference playoff berth with a win over Susquehanna during Saturday’s home doubleheader, while a single Juniata loss over its final four games would also punch the Valley’s playoff ticket.
Mentzer finished 3-for-4 and also extended his hitting streak to 19 games. With his third RBI of the game, he broke the record of 39 set in 1997 by Jon Fetterman ’98. He is now just one RBI shy of the LVC career record of 87 held by Steve Anspach ’02.
Over his last five games, Mentzer has 10 RBIs and is on an incredible 14-for-18 tear.
Junior Corey Lamoureux contributed to Lebanon Valley’s 16-hit attack with a 4-for-6 performance at the plate, as he set a career high for hits. Sophomore Brandon Thompson went 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBIs while senior Richie Schwartz was 2-for-3. Senior Dan Kelly went 2-for-6 with three runs scored.
On the mound, senior Matt Sanders held Susquehanna (9-22-1, 4-14-1 CC) to one run over the first six innings to pick up his fourth straight win, which have all been Commonwealth Conference victories. He yielded four unearned runs in the seventh and allowed 12 hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out four. Sanders (4-3) allowed his only earned run in the fourth on a Chris Price solo home run, which snapped his consecutive inning streak of not allowing an earned run at 27 1/3.
The Dutchmen scored three times on three hits, a walk, and two sacrifice flies in the first before breaking the game open with a seven-run, seven-hit fourth in which LVC sent 12 batters to the plate.
Lebanon Valley added four more runs on two hits, three walks, and an error in the sixth to make it 14-1. Susquehanna scored four runs on five hits and two errors in the seventh, then added three runs on three hits and an error in the eighth.
Sophomore Andrew Hobbins threw 2/3 of an inning in relief for LVC before junior Andrew Pipkin blanked the Crusaders over the final 1 2/3, striking out two.
Starting pitcher Eric Damm (2-4) suffered the loss for Susquehanna, yielding 14 runs on 12 hits over 5 1/3.
Lebanon Valley and Susquehanna play their twinbill on Saturday starting at noon on Senior Day at McGill Park.
[Photo - Junior John Mentzer]
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