BETHLEHEM, Pa. -  The Holy Cross baseball team swept through Lehigh in a Patriot League twinbill on Saturday capturing a 1-0 shutout in seven innings during game one before rallying in the late innings once again in game two, a 6-4 decision at Legacy Park on Saturday.

The victories push the Crusaders to 8-13 overall and 4-1 in the Patriot League while the Mountain Hawks have lost three straight, fall to 5-14 2-3 PL. Holy Cross has won four of its last six games.

In game one, senior starting pitcher Jaden Wywoda established a new career-high punching out nine batters in a complete game shutout effort. He scattered four hits and walked one. It was his second career complete game shutout (vs. Navy – March 30, 2025) and fourth career complete game. Wywoda has allowed two or fewer earned runs in five of six starts in 2026.

Also in game one, senior CJ Egrie became the program's all-time career leader in stolen bases during the third inning passing Evan Ocello (2012-2015) with his 64th career theft.

For the fourth time this season, the Crusaders picked up a late inning rally victory scoring a single run in the eighth in game two and an important insurance run in the ninth to complete the comeback. Sophomore Jake Lenahan hurled three innings of shutout, hitless relief while striking out a pair to earn his second win of the campaign.

GAME ONE: HOLY CROSS 1, LEHIGH 0 – 7 INN.

STARTING ON THE MOUND:

• Senior Jaden Wywoda: (W, 3-1), complete game, shutout, four hits allowed, one walk, nine strikeouts, 90 pitches
• Sam Fairhurst: (ND): 4.0 innings pitched, four hits allowed, zero runs, two walks, four strikeouts, 72 pitches

OUT OF THE BULLPEN:

• Christopher Nell: (L, 0-1,) 3.0 innings pitched, three hits allowed, one run, two walks, two strikeouts

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Junior Braden Connors: 2-for-4
• Junior Gianni Royer: 2-for-3, walk, stolen base
• Junior Ryan Grundy: 1-for-2, double
• Egrie: 1-for-3, run scored, walk, stolen base
• Junior Van Coughlin: 1-for-4, RBI
• Owen Walewander: 1-for-3, double

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Holy Cross threatened in the second when Grundy pulled a two out double down the right field line putting runners at second and third. However, Lehigh got out of the jam to keep the game tied 0-0.
• In the second, Wywoda punched out a pair swinging to strand runners at second and third to keep the game scoreless.
• Egrie recorded his record steal in the third following a single and promptly taking the second base bag. Holy Cross had a few runners reach, but couldn't cross the plate.
• Holy Cross had another chance in the fourth with runners at first and second with one out, but lined into a double play to end it.
• In the fifth, a walk from Egrie with a Connors single put a pair of runners on. Coughlin's RBI groundout pushed the Crusaders in the lead at 1-0.
• The Crusaders tried to add insurance in the seventh but Lehigh danced out of danger.
• In the final half inning, Wywoda punched out his career-high ninth batter looking and junior John LaFleur made an acrobatic, leaping catch to rob Lehigh of extra bases. LaFleur snared the final out of the game to complete the shutout win.

GAME TWO: HOLY CROSS 6, LEHIGH 4

STARTING ON THE MOUND:

• Sophomore Pedro Leon: (ND), 3.1 innings pitched, four hits allowed, two runs, three walks, four strikeouts, 77 pitches  
• Cole Leaman: (ND), 3.0 innings pitched, three hits allowed, one run, two walks, one strikeout, 49 pitches

OUT OF THE BULLPEN:

• Jake Lenahan: (W, 2-4), 3.0 innings pitched, zero hits allowed, zero runs, zero walks, two strikeouts, 35 pitches
• Cole Kochanowicz: (L, 0-2), 1.1 innings pitched, one hit allowed, one run, three walks, three strikeouts, 34 pitches

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Freshman Owen Stelzer: 2-for-4, RBI, walk
• Junior Alex Sandell: 2-for-4, two runs scored
• LaFleur: 2-for-4, two runs scored, walk
• Royer: 2-for-5, double, run scored
• Grundy: 1-for-3, double, run scored, two RBI
• Walewander: 1-for-2, home run, two RBI, run scored, two walks

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Leon worked around traffic in the bottom of the first loading the bases with two down before getting a groundball to short to end the frame.
• Holy Cross cracked the scoring column in the second when Stelzer ripped an RBI single up the middle to plate Sandell with two down for the 1-0 lead.
• Two straight hits from Lehigh in the third tied the game at 1-1. A walk loaded the bases with no outs. Leon answered with a three pitch strikeout for the first out. An RBI groundout put them ahead 2-1. Leon struck out the final batter of the frame to leave runners at second and third to limit the damage.
• Holy Cross tied the game in the fifth with two outs following Coughlin's RBI groundout. Grundy pulled an RBI double down the right field line to put the Crusaders back into the lead at 4-2.
• Lehigh tied the game in the fifth via a two-run shot.
• In the eighth, a walk from Grundy and Stelzer coupled with an infield single from Egrie loaded the bases with one out. An uncorked wild pitch brough home Grundy for the 5-4 lead. Connors walked on four pitches to reload the bases. Lehigh made a pitching change and retired the final two hitters to strand the bases full.
• A Lehigh error resulted in a Crusader insurance run in the ninth.

POSTGAME THOUGHTS:

Postgame with head coach @EdKahovec ???#GoCrossGo pic.twitter.com/U7swliODVv
— Holy Cross Baseball (@HCrossBaseball) March 21, 2026
 

DUE UP:

• Holy Cross goes for the series sweep at Lehigh on Sunday, March 22 with sophomore left-handed pitcher Derek Volz (0-1, 13.50 ERA) taking the hill
• First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.

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