PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. –
Shane Stossel hit his first career home run against Marietta and then
Tanner Rock pitched 5.1 scoreless innings against Swarthmore as the Lebanon Valley College baseball team split their first two games in Florida on Sunday. The Dutchmen fell to second-ranked Marietta 5-3 and then defeated Swarthmore 4-3 in Port Charlotte.
Game 1 vs. No. 2 Marietta
The Pioneers (3-1) struck first with one run in the bottom of the first and then used a big four-run third to take a 5-0 lead. The Dutchmen (0-3) fought right back and scored three runs in the sixth including Stossel's two-run homer off the pole in left to cut the lead down to 5-3.
Inside the Box Score
- Mike Bulgia had two hits in four at-bats and scored a run. Dave Mangold also had two hits for the Dutchmen and knocked in the first run on a single up the middle.
- Nico Santoro and Ryan Petrucci each had a hit for LVC. The Dutchmen had seven hits in the game and drew three walks. Marietta also had seven hits and drew four walks.
- The Dutchmen bullpen pitched five innings of scoreless relief. Dylan Lower and Brady Frankland both pitched two innings and had one strikeout each. Will Zimmerman struck out one and didn't allow a hit in the eighth.
- Kyle Kingsbury struck out five hitters in three innings to give him nine on the season.
- The Dutchmen were playing their third straight game against a nationally-ranked team to begin the season.
Game 2 vs. Swarthmore
The Dutchmen (1-3) got all the run support they would need in the first inning scoring all four of their runs against Garnet starter Matteo Sollecito. Rock struck out three in his 5.1 innings of work. Swarthmore (3-5) scored one run in the seventh and two in the eighth before
Andrew Spaan came into the game in the ninth and shut the door on the Garnet getting the final two outs and the save.
Inside the Box Score
- Santoro had a huge game at the plate with three hits in four at-bats. The junior also scored a run.
- Bulgia continued his hitting streak to begin the year with an RBI single in the first. Ethan O'Loughlin had an RBI double in the first inning as well.
- Rock scattered six hits while facing 21 batters to earn his first win of the year and eighth of his career.
- Spaan earned his first save in his collegiate debut.
- Hunter Tipton pitched an effective three innings after getting the Dutchmen out of a jam in the sixth with a double play to short.
- The Dutchmen stole four baes in the game. Conor Smith, Santoro, Dave Mangold, and Jace Fetterman had one each.
Who's Next
LVC will be back at Centennial Park in Port Charlotte tomorrow night for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch against Wittenberg University.
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