EASTON, Pa. – Senior
Jaden Wywoda recorded his 200th career strikeout as the Holy Cross baseball team needed 13 innings for a 4-2 victory against Patriot League opponent Lafayette Saturday afternoon at Kamine Stadium.
The win for the Crusaders (21-25, 13-11 PL) is their fifth over their last six games. The Leopards fall to 10-33, 5-19 PL with the loss.
Wywoda, the reigning Patriot League Pitcher of the Week, became the third pitcher in program history to reach the 200 career strikeout plateau joining Owen Carroll (387, 1922-1925) and Nate Koneski (229, 2009-2012) when he struck out Bode Grieve swinging in the bottom of the fifth. His historic strikeout happened during a stretch of five straight batters retired by punch out. Wywoda matched his career-high with nine strikeouts. He has reached that threshold three times in 2026. In his career, Wywoda has 205 career strikeouts good enough for third place on the program's all-time list. He also climbed the all-time innings pitched list (251.1) and moved to second place passing Jim Irzyk (244.0, 1980-1983) and Nate Koneski (249.1, 2009-2012) during his outing.
Freshman outfielder
Liam Daly delivered the key blow in the top of the 13th pulling a two-RBI single to right field to give Holy Cross the lead for good. Junior catcher
Colin Brown went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two runners caught stealing.
STARTING ON THE MOUND:
- Senior Jaden Wywoda: (ND), 9.0 innings pitched, three hits allowed, one run, one walk, nine strikeouts
- Tristan Helmick (ND), 8.0 innings pitched, four hits allowed, one run, one walk, six strikeouts
OUT OF THE BULLPEN:
- Sophomore Marco Citro (W, 2-1), 1.2 innings pitched, one hit allowed, zero runs, zero walks, one strikeout
- Owen Basso: (L, 1-3), 4.2 innings pitched, five hits allowed, one run, zero walks, two strikeouts
- Freshman Ethan Maddies: (S, 1), 0.1 innings pitched, zero hits allowed, zero run zero walks, zero strikeouts
STEPPING TO THE PLATE:
- Brown: 3-for-5, run scored
- Freshman Owen Stelzer: 2-for-6, RBI
- Daly: 1-fof-6, two RBI, run scored, stolen base
- Boden Fernsler: 1-for-5, double, run scored
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lafayette took a 1-0 lead via a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the second.
- In the fifth with two down, Daly stole second and was driven in by Stelzer via an RBI single to tie the game 1-1.
- Wywoda punched out the side in order in the bottom of the fifth.
- Wywoda's streak of 13 straight set down was broken in the bottom of the eighth.
- In the eighth and ninth innings, the Crusaders put the go-ahead run in scoring position, but could not cross the plate
- Wywoda tied his career-high in strikeouts in the ninth setting down the last batter looking with the winning run on second base.
- During the top of the 11th, sophomore Nick Andersen wore a pitch and Brown singled to the pitcher setting the stage for sophomore Simon Landry. Landry slapped an opposite field single through the right side to score Andersen and give the Crusaders the lead 2-1.
- Lafayette tied the game in the 11th, 2-2. Landry made a fine play at the hot corner to send the game to the 12th.
- Holy Cross packed the bases full in the top of the 13th and Daly singled to right and scored a pair for the 4-2 margin.
- The winning run reached the plate in the bottom of the 13th and Maddies came in and shut the door for his first collegiate save.
POSTGAME THOUGHTS:
DUE UP:
- Holy Cross ends its 2026 regular-season with a 7/9 inning doubleheader on Sunday, May 3.
- Sophomore Jake Lenahan (2-4, 4.39 ERA) takes the ball in game one with first pitch set for noon.
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