Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. - Bert Malloy knocked a go-ahead two-run single in the bottom of the eighth as Lebanon Valley College overcame an 11-5 deficit to beat Susquehanna University, 12-11, on a picture-perfect Wednesday at McGill Field.
The Dutchmen (10-16) snapped a six-game losing streak with the dramatic comeback that saw them put seven runs across in the eighth.
LVC used five pitchers, with Jake Becker picking up his first career win with an inning and two-thirds of scoreless relief. Matt Kline started, going four full and allowing four runs.
Jason D'Amico went 6.1 innings for the Crusaders (14-15), allowing five runs, but Josh Weber was hooked for the loss, giving up seven runs (three earned) in the LVC eighth.
Facing an 11-5 deficit heading into the eighth, LVC their first eight batters on base as it worked back into the game. With Malloy on with a lead-off single, Brent Ruminski was hit by a pitch for the third time in the game, and Brandon Thompson's single scored the first of LVC's runs in the rally. The scoring was capped off by Malloy's single through the left-side gap to score Grant Wiest and Joe Soupik to put the Dutchmen up 12-11.
The Crusaders jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, keyed by Chris Price's two-run home run. LVC pulled a run in the second thanks to some aggressive base-running by Joe Kopchick. With Kopchick on second and Ruminski at bat, LVC put on a hit-and-run, and Ruminski grounded out to the pitcher. Kopchick, however, kept going full-steam around third to home, forcing a play at the plate and he collided with Price, forcing the ball out of his grip to score the run.
Susquehanna tacked on another run in the fourth and two in the fifth, but LVC hung in with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and third, John Mentzer looked to have grounded out to short, but a wide throw allowed Mentzer to reach and gave both Thompson and Ruminski the chance to score.
It looked as though Susquehanna put the final nail in the coffin with five runs over the seventh and eighth innings. Barry Fetter blasted a two-run shot to left in the seventh, and the Crusaders made it 11-5 in the eighth thanks to John Lunardi's two-RBI single up the middle.
But Becker came in and settled the game, setting up the big LVC eighth. After Thompson's single started the scoring, Corey Lamoureux did likewise to make it an 11-7 game, and Mentzer again reached on a dropped flyball in left to load the bases. Chris Schank was hit by a pitch to score a run, Grant Wiest walked in a run. Kopchick knocked an RBI sac fly to center to score Schank, setting up Malloy's gapper to give LVC the lead.
Meanwhile, Becker took care of business in the ninth, giving up a single but inducing a pair of fly-outs to end the game.
LVC will head to Albright Friday for a 3:30 p.m. start.
