WORCESTER, Mass. – Sophomore center fielder Ben Dellacono had the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning as the Holy Cross baseball team erased an early five-run deficit and earned a Game 2 victory against Lehigh on Sunday, May 9.

The first contest of the day was deadlocked at 1-1 through six innings, backed by a career-high nine strikeouts from senior left-hander Luke Dawson in his start, but Lehigh scored three runs in the top of the seventh to come away with the win.

Holy Cross fell behind 5-0 by the top of the second inning in the second game, but worked its way back to tie things up at 5-5 in the fifth inning. After Lehigh took a one-run lead in the seventh, the Crusaders used a four-run eighth, highlighted by an RBI double from junior catcher Angelo D'Acunto and Dellacono's home run, to regain and secure the lead.

GAME ONE:
Lehigh 4, Holy Cross 1

STATS LEADERS:
Holy Cross:

• Dawson (4.2 IP, no earned runs, two hits, nine strikeouts)
• Latham (2-for-4, run scored)
• Dudunakis (1-for-4, RBI)

Lehigh:

• Gorla (2-for-3, double)
• Sweeney (1-for-3, two RBI)
• Svanson (5.0 IP, one run, six strikeouts)

W: Grisack (3-0)
L: Chudy (0-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Lehigh brought across the first run after an error in the second inning. Dawson otherwise did not allow any runs through his 4.2 innings of work, drawing nine total strikeouts in the contest.
• After freshman third baseman Thomas Latham singled and advanced to third on a wild pitch, he was able to score after an RBI single by senior right fielder Peter Dudunakis, tying things up at 1-1 in the fifth.
• A two-run homer in the top of the seventh broke the tie and gave Lehigh a 3-1 edge; they added on another run with an error.

GAME TWO:
Holy Cross 9, Lehigh 7

STATS LEADERS:
Holy Cross:

• Dellacono (2-for-4, two runs scored, home run, two RBI)
• Kirkpatrick (2-for-3, RBI, stolen base)
• Blum (2-for-3, triple, RBI)
• D'Acunto (2-for-4, double, two RBI)

Lehigh:

• Rother (4-for-5, home run, two runs scored, three RBI)
• Retzbach (3-for-5, triple)
• Sweeney (2-for-5, double, two RBI)

W: Bryant (3-1)
L: Deom (1-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Lehigh jumped out to a 5-0 lead after a two-run first and a three-run second.
• Freshman designated hitter Jake McElroy scored the Crusaders' first run of the game after an error in the bottom of the second; freshman second baseman Sam Kirkpatrick followed with a sac fly to make it a 5-2 game.
• Holy Cross continued to chip away, with D'Acunto scoring senior shortstop Cam Meyer with a single to right field in the third.
• Senior left fielder Evan Blum hit a triple to center, bringing home Meyer in the fifth. Senior first baseman Andrew Selima followed with an RBI single to score Blum and even things up at 5-5.
• Lehigh regained the lead in the seventh after an RBI single.
• D'Acunto tied the game up again with an RBI double to center that scored Selima in the eighth. Dellacono gave the Crusaders the 8-6 lead after his two-run homer, and Latham had an RBI single to score Kirkpatrick and give the Crusaders an insurance run.
• Lehigh had a one-out solo home run in the top of the ninth, and followed with a single, but Meyer turned a 6-4-3 double play to quell the Mountain Hawks' rally attempt and secure the Holy Cross victory.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Prior to Sunday's doubleheader, the Crusaders celebrated Senior Day, recognizing their nine-member senior class: outfielder Peter Dudunakis, left-handed pitcher Luke Dawson, shortstop Cam Meyer, outfielder David Kale, outfielder and catcher Evan Blum, first baseman Andrew Selima, right-handed pitcher Liam Dvorak, right-handed pitcher Garret Keough and right-handed pitcher Eric Lopes.
• In addition to Dawson's career-best nine strikeouts, Dvorak had a season-best six strikeouts on Sunday.
• Dellacono ended the season with a team-best four home runs, including three over the last six games of the season.
• After throwing out a runner in Sunday's second game, D'Acunto ends the season with 16 runners caught stealing, twice as many as any other player in the Patriot League and ranking tied for fourth in program history.