Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

FT. PIERCE, Fla. - Despite bringing out their bats for the season opener, the Lebanon Valley College baseball team was outslugged by Alvernia as it dropped both sides of a doubleheader, 11-7 (8 inn.) and 17-10, on Sunday.

The Dutchmen (0-2) led late in both games before giving up big rallies by the Crusaders (5-2). In the opener, Alvernia scored four in the eighth after LVC rallied late to force extra innings, and the Crusaders put up nine runs in the sixth inning of game two to win.

Brent Ruminski led LVC at the plate with six RBI in a 4-for-8 day. Alvernia's Reid Martin knocked in eight runs, and teammate Chris Stoudt drove in six including a home run in game two.

Game One

LVC's bats were quiet to start the opener as Alvernia tagged starter Nick Faria for three quick runs in the first, keyed by Martin's two-run triple. Meanwhile, the Crusaders' Zach Grey was lights-out over the first five innings, allowing just four hits in that span.

LVC broke the game open in the sixth, however, with six runs. With two one and one out, freshman Derek Helwig knocked in his first career RBI to start the scoring, and LVC scored five more with two out, including Brandon Stoothoff's two-run double to the gap before the Crusaders fell apart defensively late in the inning.

Joe Kopchick reached on an error to load the bases and keep the inning alive, and Stoothoff scored on a passed ball to knock Grey out of the game. New pitcher Andrew Kirk immediately threw a wild pitch, then walked Ryan Schwartz to set up Ruminski for a two-run double to left-center to put LVC up 6-5.

Chris Simoncini retook the lead for the Crusaders in the seventh, knocking in two runs on a single down the line. Needing a run to send the game into extras, LVC was down to their final out before Aaron Mills doubled in Colt Zarilla in the bottom of the seventh to extend the game.

Unfortunately, the Dutchmen couldn't capitalize on the chance as Alvernia hit reliever Dustin Deibert for four runs in the extra frame, including Stoudt's decisive two-run single.

Deibert took the loss for LVC, while Kirk earned the win for Alvernia. Faria went 5.1 and allowed five runs, all earned; Grey went 5.2 for the Crusaders and allowed five, four earned, with six strikeouts.


Game Two

Alvernia again started hot in the nightcap, putting four on the board in the first and two more in the second, but the Dutchmen responded by taking the lead with nine runs across the second and third innings.

In the second, LVC scored five runs on just three hits, including Ruminski's two-run single and Bert Malloy's RBI single to center. Alvernia committed two errors in the frame, leading to four unearned runs. In the third, LVC manufactured their runs, including RBI slaps by Ruminski, Malloy, and Zarilla as started Jeff Helm was knocked out of the game.

The Crusaders came back with two runs in the fourth to make it a 9-8 game, and Ruminski singled in Grant Wiest in the fifth for what looked to be an insurance run.

Starter Nate Blough walked the first batter he faced in the sixth and Alvernia's Steve Bealer took full advantage, driving in the game-tying run with a double to bring Robert Kinsman into the game for LVC. The inning fell apart from there, as Martin tripled to score two runs and Bealer knocked in a bases-clearing triple later in the inning as part of a nine-run spurt. LVC went down in order in the seventh to end the game.

Stefan Caporaletti took the loss, allowing three runs in the sixth in relief. Blough allowed 11, all earned, in 5.0 innings of work. Brian Longo picked up the win with 3.1 innings of strong relief for the Crusaders, and Austin Rohrback pitched a scoreless inning to close in the non-save situation.

LVC will continue its Florida trip Monday against Kenyon College at 12:30 p.m.