Lebanon Valley 6, Stevenson 2 (Game One)
LVC Lineup
1. Towers (RF), 2. DeClerico (3B), 3. Leri (1B), 4. Bulgia (CF), 5. Holdredge (DH), 6. Blair (C), 7. O'Loughlin (SS), 8. Smith (2B), 9. Scalley (LF), Ward (SP)
Stevenson Starters
1. Jones (2B), 2. Murray (CF), 3. Kidwiler (C), 4. Brandt (3B), 5. McAdam (SS), 6. Dao (DH), 7. Ferreira (1B), 8. Perkins (RF), 9. Carricato (LF), Reich (SP)
How It Happened
ANNVILLE, Pa. – In game one of Lebanon Valley Baseball's final regular-season doubleheader, the Flying Dutchmen used a four-run fourth inning to take down Stevenson 6-2.
Prior to today's game, LVC honored its seniors in
Matt Blocksom,
Bryan Towers,
Brendan Ward,
Dan Scalley,
Mitch Rickabaugh,
Chris DeClerico,
TJ Holdredge,
Michael Leri,
Daymond Zweizig, and
Josh Herring, who graduated in 2020.
In the top of the first, starting pitcher
Brendan Ward retired the first two batters in order, but ran into some trouble after back-to-back singles by the visiting Mustangs. Billy McAdam then doubled home Alex Kidwiler for the early 1-0 lead. LVC responded immediately in the bottom of the frame with Holdredge's RBI-single to right field that plated Towers, but in the top of the second, Kevin Carricato put Stevenson back on top with an RBI-single to left field.
Then, in the bottom of the fourth, Towers' single through the right side with the bases loaded allowed
Conor Smith and
Luke Blair to score to put LVC ahead 3-2. Next up was DeClerico, and he doubled home Towers and Scalley to make it 5-2. LVC's
Michael Williams didn't allow a run in his three innings of work and the Dutchmen went on to take game one 6-2.
Inside the Numbers
- Ward moved to 4-1 on the season after throwing four innings and allowing two earned runs with a pair of strikeouts.
- Williams gave up just one hit in three innings of work and earned the save.
- Towers finished 2-for-4 at the dish with two RBI and two runs scored.
- DeClerico had one hit and two RBI.
Lebanon Valley 17, Stevenson 9 (Game Two)
LVC Lineup
1. Towers (RF), 2. DeClerico (3B), 3. Leri (1B), 4. Bulgia (CF), 5. Holdredge (DH), 6. Hurd (LF), 7. O'Loughlin (SS), 8. Smith (2B), 9. Rickabaugh (C), Moore Jr. (SP)
Stevenson Lineup
1. Jones (2B), 2. Murray (CF), 3. Kidwiler (1B), 4. Brandt (3B), 5. McAdam (SS), 6. Russo (2B), 7. Ferreira (DH), 8. Carricato (LF), 9. Perkins (RF), Vanko (SP)
How It Happened
Lebanon Valley banged out a season-high 25 hits in game two and plated 17 runs in a 17-9 win over the Mustangs to sweep the four-game series from Stevenson. In four games against the Mustangs this season, the Dutchmen outscored them 51-15. LVC finished the regular season with a 17-9 overall record and a 16-6 mark in conference action. Stevenson finished its regular season at 11-13, 7-9 MACC.
Holdredge got the Dutchmen on board early with his two-RBI double to left field, and later Holdredge scored on a wild pitch. After the Mustangs got one back in the top of the second,
Mitch Rickabaugh responded with an RBI-double down the left-field line that scored Smith to make it 4-1 in favor of the Dutchmen.
LVC's offense stayed hot in bottom of the fourth when Bulgia's single to right scored Towers and Smith, followed by Holdredge's single that allowed DeClerico to score. The Mustangs came to within three in the top of the fifth at 8-5, but the Towers' two-RBI single in the bottom of the fifth put the home team ahead 10-5. In the bottom of the sixth, LVC's onslaught continued with O'Loughlin's RBI-single and Rickabaugh's RBI-double. After Towers singled home Rickabalugh, DeClerico roped an RBI-double to center field. The Dutchmen went on to add three more runs in the bottom of the seventh and cruised to a 17-9 win in a game in which LVC had 25 knocks.
Inside the Numbers (Game Two)
- Bulgia went 4-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored and a pair of RBI.
- Holdredge added four hits as well and had three RBI.
- Smith finished with four hits and three runs scored.
- Rickabaugh racked up three hits and two RBI.
-
Ryan Murphy had a two-RBI triple in the seventh.
-
Tommy Moore Jr. earned his first win of the season after tossing five innings. He allowed four earned runs but struck out five.
- Blocksom didn't allow a hit and struck out one in the top of the ninth.
- Zweizig allowed two runs (both unearned) in one inning of relief and struck out a pair.
2021 MAC Commonwealth Championship Tournament Set
The 2021 MAC Commonwealth Tournament is set to begin next week when LVC will be the No. 2 seed and host these same Mustangs (No. 7) in the quarterfinal round. No. 1 York will host the winner of No. 8 Hood and No. 9 Albright (Tuesday), while No. 3 Alvernia will host No. 6 Messiah and No. 4 Widener will host No. 5 Eastern. Each quarterfinal is a best-of-three series with the Dutchmen hosting Stevenson next Saturday, May 1, in a doubleheader with the if-necessary game taking place in Owings Mills, Md. on Sunday.
Who's Next?
LVC will host Stevenson on Saturday, May 1, in the MAC Commonwealth Quarterfinal Round. The start time will be announced early next week.
