WINCHESTER, Va. – Shane Stossel hit his first home run of the year for the Lebanon Valley College baseball team, as the program opened the season with a doubleheader against No. 7 Shenandoah University on Sunday, Feb. 25 at Kevin Anderson Field at Bridgeforth Stadium. The club battled until the final out in each game but dropped the matchups by scores of 19-1 and 18-6.
The programs competed in a seven-inning contest in the opener and played nine frames in the second game. The Dutchmen battled in the batter's box all afternoon, working to put runners on base. Over the two games, LVC recorded 18 hits, drew six walks, and reached base twice via hit-by-pitches. The club also received contributions from several members of its lineup, as five players drove in runs and seven crossed the plate. Stossel was among those who made an impact for the team, homering in the second game.
Nico Santoro also went 4-for-5 during the two games, bringing his career hits total to 183 to become the program's all-time leader.
Game 1
Shenandoah opened the scoring with seven runs in the bottom of the first inning. Lebanon Valley responded with a run in the top of the second, making it a 7-1 game. With one out in the frame,
Duncan Weir singled to left field and
Ryan Murphy hit a single through the right side of the infield. Later in the inning, a passed ball allowed Weir to advance to third base before he came home to score on a wild pitch.
The Hornets then hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second, advancing the score to 8-1. The Dutchmen battled at the plate as the game went on, getting a couple of runners on base in the top of the third inning. The club started a two-out rally, as Santoro singled through the left side and
Logan Brewer hit a single through the right side.
In the bottom half of the frame, Shenandoah went ahead 12-1 on a two-run single, an RBI single, and a fielder's choice. The Hornets then added four runs in the bottom of the fourth, taking a 16-1 lead on a grand slam. Shenandoah also tacked on a pair with a two-run double to center in the fifth, going up 18-1.
Lebanon Valley kept putting the ball in play as the game went on, as the team began the sixth inning with a couple of base hits.
Ethan O'Loughlin led off the frame with a single to right, and
Logan Brewer followed this with a single to second base. The Hornets then added a run in the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo home run, advancing the score to 19-1. This would stand as the final score.
Inside the Box Score
- Lebanon Valley's lineup registered seven hits.
- Weir went 1-for-2 with a run scored.
- Brewer hit a pair of singles, going 2-for-3.
- Santoro's single in the third was his 180th career hit, tying John Mentzer on the program's all-time hits list. The shortstop also drew a walk and stealing a base.
- Murphy posted a 1-for-2 performance while swiping a bag.
- O'Loughlin hit a single in the sixth inning.
- Eric Sees singled in the top of the seventh.
- The pitching staff for the Dutchmen struck out seven batters during the game.
- Hayden Fravel recorded two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work during his first career appearance.
- Hunter Williams also fanned a pair of batters in his first career appearance, pitching an inning during the season opener.
Game 2
Santoro hit a single to right field with two outs in the top of the first inning, becoming Lebanon Valley's all-time hits leader. The Hornets got on the board in the bottom half of the first, taking a 10-0 lead. The Dutchmen answered with a tally in the top of the second, advancing the score to 10-1.
Luke Pollock lined a ball to deep center field that bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, plating Brewer.
Lebanon Valley crossed the dish twice more in the top of the third inning, narrowing the contest 10-3. Stossel drove a two-run homer over the left-field wall, leaving the yard for the first time this spring. Shenandoah then tacked on a run in the bottom of the third, taking an 11-3 advantage.
Lebanon Valley got a rally going in the top of the fifth inning, loading the bases after
Jace Fetterman walked, Santoro singled to left, and Brewer also drew a walk. O'Loughlin came to the plate with one out and hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Fetterman and trimming the deficit to 11-4.
The Hornets added five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and two in the seventh on an RBI double and single, extending their lead to 18-4. The Dutchmen continued to battle as the game progressed, crossing the plate in the eighth inning to make it an 18-5 contest.
Ryan Schulman picked up an RBI on a groundout to first base, scoring
Brian Hammond. Lebanon Valley also put a tally on the scoreboard in the top of the ninth, advancing the score to 18-6.
John Adams grounded a single up the middle, plating
Patrick McNeill. Ultimately, this would be the final score.
Inside the Box Score
- Stossel hit LVC's first home run of the 2024 season, going 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
- Brewer hit his first career triple while going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
- Santoro's single in the first inning marked his 181st career hit, making him LVC's all-time hits leader. The graduate student posted a 3-for-4 effort while scoring his 112th career run, tying for second on the program's all-time list.
- Schulman picked up his first career RBI.
- O'Loughlin went 1-for-3 with his 40th career RBI.
- Pollock also registered a 1-for-3 afternoon with an RBI.
- Adams drove in a run with a single in the ninth inning.
- Hammond scored in the eighth.
- Adam Jirik logged his first career hit with a single in the eighth inning.
- The Dutchmen logged 11 hits with five walks.
- Lebanon Valley's pitching staff struck out eight batters.
- Nathan Clarke recorded his first career strikeout.
- Owen Berry fanned two batters, marking the first strikeouts of his career.
Up Next
Lebanon Valley is scheduled to return to the diamond at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27, as the program will host Muhlenberg College for its home opener at McGill Field.
Stay Connected
Be sure to follow @lvcathletics on
Instagram,
X, and
Facebook for the most in-depth coverage of LVC Athletics.
