JERSEY CITY, N.J. – In its second meeting with the Mountain Hawks this season, the Saint Peter's baseball team took down Lehigh, 8-5, after
Tyler Smith hit a walk-off home run at Jaroschak Field Wednesday evening.
The Peacocks (11-28, 5-15 MAAC) were on the brink of being on the wrong side of a comeback as the Mountain Hawks (22-22, 10-12 Patriot League) scored five runs in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game. Smith decided to take the game into his own hands, hitting a three-run homer for the win in the bottom of the ninth.
Saint Peter's cycled through seven pitchers on the mound on Wednesday, but it ended up working in its favor as they allowed just five runs in the game.
Alex Rakas had the most hits on the team with three in his five at bats.
Logan Baker had the next most with two.
Ashby Vining,
Tyler Cotten,
Sean Martinez and Smith all recorded one hit on the day. Cotten's hit was a double in the third inning that put the Peacocks on the board and Martinez's hit was a triple prior to that at bat.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Peacocks led for the majority of the game and it started with two RBIs by Cotten which scored Martinez and
Garrett Greco. With the 2-0 advantage, Saint Peter's was able to extend its lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning.
SPU scored its three runs in the fifth on a single up the middle by Baker, a walk with the bases loaded and a player hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Peacocks continued to hold the Mountain Hawks scoreless until the top of the seventh when Lehigh finally recorded a run. It was in the top of the eighth when things got interesting as Lehigh rattled off four straight runs to tie the game at 5-5.
Ben Williams came into the game in the top of the ninth and picked up three outs while striking out two batters. To start the bottom of the ninth, both Rakas and Baker bunted down the right line to get on base. That's when Smith came in to pinch hit for
Nick Izzo and it ended up being a great decision as he went yard on the first pitch thrown.
UP NEXT
The Peacocks hit the road next to play a three-game series against Manhattan starting Friday, May 2nd.
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