ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL
Monday, March 24, 2008

Blue Jays Split Doubleheader at Muhlenberg

Click here for the game one box score
Click here for the game two box score

ALLENTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College split a non-conference baseball doubleheader with host Muhlenberg College on Monday afternoon, falling 4-1 in the opener before coming back with a 18-11 victory in the nightcap.

In game one, Jason Daniels (1-1) allowed two hits and one run over six innings of work while Eric Pomroy drove home a pair of runs with a second-inning single as the Mules came away with the victory.

Elizabethtown took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy), but Muhlenberg answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Edward Risener and an RBI single by Jon Kalis.

The Mules extended their lead to 4-1 in the second on a two-out, two-run single by Pomroy, and Daniels took care of the lead by holding the Blue Jays without a hit over his final three innings on the mound. Spencer Joseph pitched a perfect ninth to earn his first save of the season.

Joe Carlo finished 3-for-3 with a run scored for Muhlenberg, while junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a third-inning single for the Blue Jays.

Junior Kurt Smith (York, PA/Eastern York) saw his record drop to 1-1 for Elizabethtown after allowing seven hits and four runs (three earned) in a six-inning complete game, while striking out three.

In game two, junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in seven runs as the Blue Jays (9-6 overall) finished with a season-high 20 hits off seven Mule pitchers.

The Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on another sacrifice fly by Auman and a throwing error, and added five runs in the top of the third on a two-run error, a sacrifice fly by Semanek and a two-run single by sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford).

Muhlenberg countered with three runs in their half of the third on a three-run home run by Risener to cut the Blue Jay lead to 7-3. but the Blue Jays came back with five runs in the top of the fourth on a passed ball and the grand slam by Semanek, his second home run of the season, to take a 12-3 advantage.

The Mules plated two runs in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Eric Hammond and a double-play grounder to pull within 12-5, but the Blue Jays came back with four in the fifth on an RBI triple by sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts), a two-run home run by Heaps and another sacrifice fly from Semanek to take a 16-5 lead.

Elizabethtown added a run in the eighth on an RBI single by Heaps to move ahead 17-5, but the Mules scored six runs in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles by Carlo and Clint Lynch, a passed ball and a three-run home run by Pomroy.

Semanek, who became the first Blue Jay since Chris Turtell in 2001 to knock in seven runs in a game, slammed his second home run of the day with one out in the ninth inning to give Elizabethtown an 18-11 lead.

Auman finished 4-for-4 with three runs scored while Heaps went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI to extend his hitting streak to 15 games.

Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three runs scored for Elizabethtown, while Francis finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored as all nine Blue Jay starters picked up at least one hit.

Risener finished 4-for-5 for the Mules (9-6 overall), while Pomroy, Carlo and Lynch each went 2-for-5 with two runs scored as part of a 13-hit attack.

Junior Dan Lauletta (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) evened his record at 1-1 for Elizabethtown with four scoreless innings of relief, while Dan Fisher fell to 0-2 for Muhlenberg after allowing six hits and six runs (five earned) in two innings.

Game one
Muhlenberg College 4, Elizabethtown Coll. 1
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Elizabethtown Coll.. 100 000 0 - 1 2 1 (8-6)
Muhlenberg College.. 220 000 x - 4 7 1 (9-7)
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Kurt Smith and Jared Auman; Jason Daniels, Spencer Joseph (7) and Danny Asip. WP-Daniels (1-1). LP-Smith (1-1). SV-Joseph (1). SO-BB: Smith 3-5; Daniels 3-3, Joseph 1-0.

Game two
Elizabethtown Coll. 18, Muhlenberg College 11
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Elizabethtown Coll.. 205 540 011 - 18 20 2 (9-6)
Muhlenberg College.. 003 200 06x - 11 13 4 (9-8)
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Ryan Barrett, Dan Lauletta (4), Steve Shuleski (8), Chris Minakowski (8) and Tom Semanek; Dan Fisher, Paul Faith (3), Brent Morris (5), Daniel Litt (5), Mark Shive (6), Mario Fiorentini (8); Mike Misciagna (9) and Clint Lynch. WP-Lauletta (1-1). LP-Fisher (0-2). SO-BB: Barrett 4-2, Lauletta 0-0, Shuleski 0-0, Minakowski 2-0; Fisher 1-2, Faith 0-2, Morris 1-0, Litt 0-0, Shive 2-1, Fiorentini 1-1; Misciagna 1-0. HR-Sam Heaps (E), Tom Semanek 2 (E), Edward Risener (M), Eric Pomroy (M).