Box Score (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania baseball team returned home to Meiklejohn Stadium Tuesday after spending the first three weeks of the season on the road, and defeated visiting Lehigh 6-4 in the home opener. Five Quakers posted multi-hit days at the plate - including three from catcher Matt O'Neill - and the bullpen held its own to seal the victory, allowing just one run in four and two-thirds innings while striking out six.

Lehigh 4, Penn 6
WP: Jack Hartman (1-0)
LP: Anthony Morrone (1-1)
SV: Billy Lescher (1)

BY THE NUMBERS
*6 - The Quakers scored all six of their runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings Tuesday, which is half of the team's total runs scored in those three innings in the first 12 games combined.
*7 - Matt McGeagh, Daniel Halevy and Matt O'Neill - the four, five and six hitters in the lineup - combined for seven of the team's 11 hits Tuesday. The previous season-high in hits from the four-five-six hitters was four.
*82 - Tuesday's win over Lehigh marks the 82nd win all-time over the Mountain Hawks in 118 meetings. Penn now leads the all time series, 82-31-4.
*100 - The Penn pitching staff has now struck out an even 100 batters through 13 games after nine punch-outs Tuesday.


HOW IT HAPPENED
The Quakers continued their trend of getting behind early in games Tuesday, as Mountain Hawk leadoff hitter James Bleming hit his first home run of the season over the fence in left-center to start the game. However, starting pitcher Mitchell Holcomb settled in nicely from then on, retiring 12 of the last 17 batters he faced despite earning the no decision in his second career start.

After Lehigh tacked on another run in the fourth, McGeagh, Halevy and O'Neill lined three-straight, one-out singles to get Penn on the board and cut the deficit to one. The Mountain Hawks answered with their second home run of the game - a solo shot from Connor Donovan - to make it a two-run game, but the Quakers got themselves right back into the game in the bottom half of the inning.

Andrew Murnane reached to lead off the fifth and stole second to get himself into scoring position with one out for Tim Graul. The senior delivered a double just inside the right field line to score Murnane, and later came around to score on a wild pitch with two outs to tie the game at three. McGeagh kept the inning alive with two-outs and no one on, driving a pitch into the gap in right-center for a double before Daniel Halevy brought in the go-ahead run with a base hit to center, giving the Quakers a 4-3 lead.

The Mountain Hawks (3-12) answered with a run of their own in the top of the sixth, but the Quakers responded with two in the home half to put the game away for good. Following a one-out walk to Matt Tola, Murnane ripped a double to left to score the Penn shortstop, and Graul brought Murnane around with a single to to center - his second hit and RBI of the day.

Jack Hartman, Grant Guillory and Billy Lescher combined to throw four and two-thirds innings in relief, while allowing just one run and striking out six. Hartman earned his first win of the season and Lescher picked up his first save.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Quakers (4-9) play a pair of doubleheaders this weekend in a home-and-home set with Lafayette. Saturday's games will be held at Lafayette's Kamine Stadium, while Meiklejohn Stadium will be the host for Sunday's twin bill. First pitch for both Saturday and Sunday is scheduled for 12 p.m.