Army Secures Doubleheader Sweep at Lafayette

EASTON, PA. – Army West Point Baseball scored a combined 26 runs in its Patriot League doubleheader Saturday afternoon, on its way to taking both games against the Lafayette Leopards at Kamine Stadium.

The Black Knights improve to 19-15 and are 9-4 in the Patriot League, winners of seven of their past nine games.

Game 1
A fast start and effective pitching set up Army for a 9-3 Game 1 win.

Three straight walks to open the game culminated in a three-run double from William Parker as the Black Knights drew first blood. Sam Ruta added an RBI single the next at-bat, for a 4-0 lead before an out was recorded.

After the Leopards answered with three runs in the second inning, Army recreated separation with a five-run fourth. Thomas Schreck, Chris Barr and Derek Berg each recorded RBI base knocks before Parker added to the lead with a sacrifice fly.

Justin Lehman allowed three unearned runs in his five-inning start, striking out seven and receiving the win. Andrew Berg pitched the final two innings, striking out a pair and allowing no runs.

Game 2
Once again in Game 2, the Leopards scratched back from a quick Black Knight advantage.

But for the second time Saturday, Army regrouped and cruised to victory, prevailing 17-5.

Starting pitcher Mike Ruggieri struck out a career-high 10 batters, going five innings and earning his first win of the year.

Matthew Ronnebaum took the save, retiring all 12 hitters faced across his four innings.

Derek Berg poked a two-run homer to right field in the game’s second at-bat to make it 2-0 in favor of the visiting club. Coleson Titus added an RBI later in the inning, Ethan Ellis had a sacrifice fly, and Titus came around to score on a wild pitch in the inning to round out the five-run frame.

A Lafayette run in the second and a grand slam in the third tied the game, but Army regained the lead in the fifth, with a two-out rally highlighted by a Titus RBI single and an Ellis two-run double.

A four-run sixth put the game out of reach for Lafayette. A Braden Golinski sacrifice fly proceeded a Ruta two-run double, before Ruta crossed the plate on a throing error to put Army up seven runs.