ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL
Monday, March 26, 2007

Elizabethtown Sweeps Lebanon Valley 13-5 and 1-0; Blue Jays Two Wins from 1,000

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College swept Lebanon Valley College 13-5 and 1-0 in a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader at home Monday to improve to 9-4 overall and 3-0 in the conference. The wins bring the Elizabethtown baseball program two away from becoming the College’s first athletics program to reach the 1,000 all-time victory mark. The Elizabethtown varsity intercollegiate baseball program, which began play in 1930, is currently 998-699-10 all-time.

Monday’s games, which were the make-ups of games originally rained out Saturday, were supposed to have been played at Lebanon Valley, but they were moved to Elizabethtown this morning due to unplayable field conditions at LVC. Although the games were held at Elizabethtown, Lebanon Valley was the home team for both games. Lebanon Valley dropped to 1-10 overall and 0-3 in the Commonwealth Conference with the losses.

In the first game, Elizabethtown stormed out to a 10-0 led by the middle of the third inning. Mike Donahue (Hatfield, PA/Lansdale Catholic) batted 3-for-5 with a double, three runs and three RBI, and Ryan White (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) hit 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI for Etown. Dean Whetham (Wilmington, DE/Brandywine) went 1-for-5 with a double, three RBI and a run scored, and Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) hit 2-for-5 with a double, a run and an RBI. Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) went 2-for-5 with a triple, one run and two RBI for Etown, and Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) batted 1-for-3 and scored two runs. Elizabethtown starting pitcher Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) improved to 3-1 on the season with the win.

In the second game, Elizabethtown and Lebanon Valley remained locked in a 0-0 tie through the regulation seven innings. In the top of the eighth, Etown finally broke the stalemate. Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) drew a one-out walk, and Whetham followed with a single to move him to second base. Auman then went to third on a wild pitch. Watson grounded into a fielder’s choice upon which Whetham was out at second, but Auman scored on the play. Etown starting pitcher Matt Kutz (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) went seven innings and allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out two en route to his first win of the season. Reliever Andy Mees (Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon) entered the game with no outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the eighth, and he got the next three Lebanon Valley batters out for his third save of the season.

Elizabethtown will return to action on the road Tuesday, March 27 against Rowan University in a 3:00 p.m. non-conference game in pursuit of all-time win number 999.

Elizabethtown 13, Lebanon Valley 5
(Mar 26, 2007 at Elizabethtown, Pa.) (Game 1)
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Elizabethtown  244 001 2 - 13 16 1 (8-4, 2-0 Comm.)
Lebanon Valley 000 041 0 -  5 10 4 (1-9, 0-2 Comm.)
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Pitchers: Elizabethtown - Sam Heaps; Chris Minakowski(6). Lebanon Valley - Josh Muscalus; Kyle Caruthers(4).
Win-Sam Heaps(3-1) Loss-Josh Muscalus(0-2) T-2:15 A-85

Elizabethtown 1, Lebanon Valley 0
(Mar 26, 2007 at Elizabethtown, Pa.) (Game 2)
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Elizabethtown  000 000 01 - 1 11 0 (9-4, 3-0 Comm.)
Lebanon Valley 000 000 00 - 0 3  1 (1-10, 0-3 Comm)
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Pitchers: Elizabethtown - Matt Kutz; Andy Mees(8). Lebanon Valley - Nick Faria; Grant Wiest(8).
Win-Matt Kutz(1-0) Save-Andy Mees(3) Loss-Grant Wiest(0-1) T-1:53 A-85
M. Kutz faced 1 batter in the 8th.