Lopez 20th Homerun Helps Baseball Hangs on in Game Two; Advances to Second Day with Win Over Goldey-Beacom After Defeat to Felician in Game One
WATERBURY, Conn. - Thomas Jefferson University baseball (31-14) competed in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship Tournament after having a bye for the Double Elimination portion of the bracket. The Rams fell in their first game 10-4 against Felician University (29-21) to drop in the loser's bracket. After having a tied game at 8-8 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Jefferson collected two runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to hold off Goldey-Beacom College (33-19) 12-8 and head into the second day of the CACC Championship Tournament. Josh Lopez broke the school record for homeruns in a single-season with 20 in game two.
WHAT HAPPENED
GAME ONE: L, 10-4 VS FELICIAN
First game saw the Rams get out to an early lead as Josh Lopez hit a single to right center, letting Justin Egner score and take an early lead over the Golden Falcons. Felician responded with a score of their own in the top of the second to tie it up, but Matt Vita bunt single added another run by way of Joshua Lopez for a 2-1 advantage in favor of Jefferson. After a scoreless third inning, the Golden Falcons put two runs on the board to get ahead 3-2 in the fourth. The Rams responded as Joshu. Lopez had his own RBI in this game, nailing a single to the left side for a Marquise Wood run and an even 3-3 ballgame.
Felician put two more runs off a double and retook the lead 5-3 in the fifth inning. Chris McLean single up the middle had Jefferson trail 5-4 after Jordan Tiburcio made it to homeplate. The Golden Falcons began to take momentum in their favor, scoring two runs in the sixth and three in the eighth as they lead 10-4 over the Rams. Jefferson got as close as third base in the ninth inning but were unable to get back in the match as they dropped the first game to Felician 10-4, forcing the Rams to earn each win to advance in the tournament.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Joshua Lopez: 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Josh Lopez: 1-for-4, 1 RBI
Chris McLean: 1-for-4, 1 RBI
Matt Vita: 2-for-4, 1 RBI
Samuel Bass: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 3 SO
Sean Morgan: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 SO
Steve Graziano: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 SO
GAME TWO: W, 12-8 VS GOLDEY-BEACOM
The Lightning struck first, scoring two runs off a single to right center. J. Lopez responded with his 20th homerun on the year, turning in three runs for the Rams and giving them the lead after one inning. After Goldey-Beacom scored on a wild pitch in the top of the third, Marquise Wood responded with his own homerun on the day, nailing a two-run homerun to left center and having Jefferson retake the lead 5-3.
The Lighting added three runs in the top of the fourth off a two-run double and sacrifice fly. The Rams once more responded with Egner putting a single to center field for Tiburcio to earn a run on the day. McLean followed J. Lopez and Wood's lead as he hit the third homerun on the day for Jefferson, the 16th multi homerun game for the Rams, as a two-run homerun put them up 8-6.
Goldey-Beacom took the momentum with score by wild pitch, having the Lightning trail by one score. A scoreless sixth inning and having two outs in the second, Goldey-Beacom tied the game off a throwing error by the catcher. The Rams fought back to get ahead once more. Gabe Silva single to right field helped Wood make his run around the bases. Silva got to score himself from a Diego Santiago double down the right line in the seventh. The Lightning had two runners on base with the leading run at bat, but Anthony Pillari caught the foul out on the right side to stop the potential scoring attempt by Goldey-Beacom.
Jefferson added to their lead in the eighth as a throwing error by Goldey-Beacom's pitcher and a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded had the match at 12-8 heading into the ninth. After two fly outs to left field, Anthony Pillari, who pulled double duty as a pitcher and batter, secured a strike out to finish the game with a 12-8 victory and earned the Rams to advance to the second day in the CACC Championship Tournament.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Josh Lopez: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Marquise Wood: 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Chris McLean: 1-for-2, 4 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Gabe Silva: 1-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI
Diego Santiago: 2-for-5, 1 RBI
Justin Egner: 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI
Albert Bobadilla: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 SO
Anthony Pillari: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 5 SO, 0-for-2
LOPEZ'S RECORD BREAKING HOMERUN
Josh Lopez hit his 20th homerun in today's game against Goldey-Beacom. This gives Jo. Lopez the school-record for homeruns in a season, breaking Bob Files' record of 19 back in 1998. Lopez has now surpassed 31 homeruns in his career for Jefferson.
UP NEXT
The Rams will now await their opponent for day two as they will have the loser of the Felician vs Post match. Game two will begin on Friday, May 10 at 2 p.m.
