WORCESTER, Mass. — The Holy Cross baseball team dropped a pair of Patriot League contests to Lehigh on Saturday afternoon at Fitton Field falling 10-2 in game one of a doubleheader and losing by a 14-12 score in game two.
 
The setbacks send the Crusaders to 11-26, 3-10 PL while the Mountain Hawks improve to 16-20, 3-10.

GAME ONE, 7 INN.
Lehigh 10, Holy Cross 2

STATS LEADERS: 
Holy Cross:
Scanlon (1-for-3, double, walk, run scored)
Brown (1-for-3)
Benton (0-for-1, RBI, walk)

Lehigh:
Nole (2-for-3, double, three RBI, run scored)
Patrizi (2-for-3, double, walk, two RBI)
Rother (1-for-4, home run, two RBI, run scored)

THE DECISION: 
W: Rettig (5-3)
L: Scanlon (0-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Lehigh struck first on a two base error in the top of the first. A two-out double into the left centerfield gap expanded the lead to 3-0 in the early stages of the contest.
• In the bottom of the second, a pair of walks and a single to center loaded the bases for the Crusaders with no outs. Holy Cross notched one run on a fielder's choice and an infield single kept the bases loaded with two away. Lehigh stranded the runners to keep it a 3-1 game.
• A bunt single to the Crusader pitcher coupled with a bounding ball RBI single to left and a sacrifice bunt upped the Mountain Hawk margin to 6-1 through four frames.
• A groundout to shortstop resulted in another run for Holy Cross as they trimmed the margin to 6-2.
• A three run Lehigh sixth frame which included an RBI double and a two-run home run clinched the game.

GAME TWO 
Lehigh 14, Holy Cross 12

STATS LEADERS: 
Holy Cross:
Baillargeon (3-for-5, home run, five RBI, run scored)
Casserly (2-for-4, two home runs, two RBI, two runs scored)
Scanlon (2-for-4, home run, two RBI, two runs scored, walk)
Toomey (2-for-3, double, home run, stolen base, two runs scored, two walks)

Lehigh:
Rother (2-for-3, two home runs, six RBI, two walks, three runs scored)
Perich (3-for-5, three doubles, four RBI, run scored, walk)
Young (3-for-5, three runs scored, RBI, walk)
Patrizi (3-for-4, double, three runs scored, walk)

THE DECISION: 
W: Christian (1-2)
L: Talbot (1-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• The Mountain Hawks got on the board first when a double to right center cleared the bases making it 2-0. A single to right field increased the score to 3-0.
• With two down in the bottom of the first, sophomore Chris Baillargeon singled to right which resulted in the first two runs for the Crusaders to minimize the deficit to 3-2.
• Lehigh got another run in the top of the second when a single up the middle kicked off the second base bag and dribbled into center field to up the margin to 4-2. A sacrifice fly added on to the edge at 5-2
• The Crusaders dropped a five spot in the home half of the second with all five runs coming from two out long balls. Sophomore Sean Scanlon homered on a full count offering to make it 5-4 and a couple of batters later, Baillargeon stroked a deep drive to left which pushed the Crusaders ahead 7-5.
• A Lehigh long bomb brought the score to 8-7 in the fourth.
• Four runs by the Mountain Hawks in the fifth including a three-run round tripper regained the lead at 11-8.
• Freshman Jack Toomey doubled to center in the home half of the fifth to make it 11-9.
• Lehigh tacked on two more runs with a double in the seventh inning.
• Junior Patrick Casserly homered to left center to make it a two run game in the eighth before Lehigh added on an important run in the ninth,

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE: 

• The five home runs game in two were the most the Crusaders hit in a game this season and the largest total since the team hit three home runs at Mercer on March 5, 2018.
• Baillargeon's homer was the first in his collegiate career.
• Junior Jake McElroy's reached-base streak of 23 games ended with an 0-for-4 showing in game one.

DUE UP: 

• Holy Cross wraps up their three game Patriot League set versus Lehigh on Sunday, April 16.
• First pitch against the Mountain Hawks is set for 1 p.m. 

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
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