FORKS TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The University of Pennsylvania baseball team led early and rallied late but fell just short against Lafayette, 6-5, in Liberty Bell Classic action Tuesday afternoon.
QUAKER NOTEMEAL
* Starting pitcher
John Cerwinski struck out a career high four batters in three innings of work.
* Edward Sarti matched a career-high with four strikeouts in a career-long 2.1 innings.
* Penn's 1-5 hitters (
Cole Palis,
Jackson Appel,
Ben Miller,
Davis Baker, and
Wyatt Henseler) reached base a combined 11 times via five hits, three walks, and three HBPs, finishing the day with three runs and three RBIs between them.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Quakers took advantage of some wild activity from Lafayette starter Jacob Maurer to provide Cerwinski some early run support.
Cole Palis led off with a single, advanced to second on a ground out, then took third on a passed ball. After Miller walked, both runners advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch, with Palis coming in to score. Baker followed with a double to left, scoring Miller.
Lafayette got on the board in the second, but Penn answered right back in the third. With one out, a Palis walk, an Appel single, and a Miller hit by pitch loaded the bases. With Baker at the dish, a wild pitch plated Palis, putting Penn up 3-1.
Lafayette took the lead with three runs in the fourth, then added two more in the fifth, taking a 6-3 lead.
Both teams went down in order in the sixth, thanks in part to a fantastic leaping grab by Palis.
In the seventh, Penn cut into the three-run deficit.
Asa Wilson and
Seth Werchan started the inning with back-to-back singles and Appel loaded the bases with one out after being hit by a pitch. After Miller plated Wilson with a groundout, Baker was hit by a pitch to reload the bases.
Henseler followed with an infield single, scoring Werchan, but the Quakers could not push the tying or go-ahead runs across, stranding three to end the inning.
Lafayette threatened to blow the game open in the bottom of the inning, but Sarti got out of the jam with a strikeout.
The Quakers put men on in both the eighth and ninth innings, but could not advance any of them beyond first base, as the Leopards closed out the game.
Up Next
Penn heads to Dartmouth for an Ivy League series starting with Game 1 of a doubleheader Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
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