WINCHESTER, Va. – Shane Stossel hit the first home run of the season for the Lebanon Valley baseball team in the first game of a pair of heart-breaking 6-5 seven-inning defeats on walk-off hits at nationally-ranked Shenandoah University on Friday afternoon.
The Hornets improved to 6-0 with their two closest games of the year while the Dutchmen played their first two games of the season. Shenandoah is ranked in the top 25 of both preseason polls.
Game 1
The Hornets scored twice in the first inning on Stossel to take a 2-0 lead. LVC came right back and scored a run in the second on a
Duncan Weir single to left. Two innings later the Dutchmen tied the game up on a
Ryan Murphy double down the line to score
Jace Fetterman. Stossel gave the Dutchmen the lead in the fifth with a two-run bomb to left. Shenandoah responded with three runs in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead. The Dutchmen loaded the bases in the seventh inning and Stossel knocked in the tying run with a sacrifice fly to right. The Hornets were able to drive a run home in the bottom of the inning to take the opener.
Inside the Box Score
- Stossel drove in three runs in three at-bats. On the mound he struck out seven in five innings of work and allowed just the two first inning runs on four total hits.
- Nico Santoro started the season with two hits and a run scored.
- The Dutchmen had eight hits in the game. Fetterman, Stossel, Andrew Miles, Murphy, Weir, and Ethan O'Loughlin all had a hit each.
- Murphy and O'Loughlin had doubles while Miles stole two bases.
Game 2
Shenandoah scored first in the nightcap with a run in the second inning. LVC struck right back in the third with three runs. Stossel knocked in his fourth run of the day with a sacrifice fly to center to score
Dave Mangold and then Miles doubled down the line in left to score Santoro and
Conor Smith. The Hornets tied the game up in the bottom of the inning with a two-run double. In the fifth Fetterman knocked in his first run of the year with a single to right. Santoro gave the Dutchmen a 5-3 lead in the sixth with a double to right. Shenandoah rallied in the seventh scoring three runs to win their sixth straight.
Inside the Box Score
- Santoro, Fetterman, and Miles each had two hits in the game with each having a double.
- Miles knocked in two runs while Stossel walked twice.
- Smith scored two runs and walked twice.
- Blair Shaffer pitched three inning and gave up three runs on three hits and three walks in his first start of the year.
- Malachi Duka pitched three innings of relief and struck out two.
Up Next
The Dutchmen will be back in action on Tuesday with the home opener against Muhlenberg College. First pitch at McGill Field is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
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