Towson, Md. (February 23, 2019)--A seven-run fourth inning propelled the Mount St. Mary's baseball team to an 8-6 win over Lehigh on Saturday in the season opener played at Calvert Hall High School.  Pitchers Trey McGough and Michael Kuypers combined for 10 strikeouts in the win.

The Mount (1-0) struck first with a run in the bottom of the first inning.  Myles Nicholson led the game off with a base hit up the middle, and he promptly stole second base.  Nicholson then came around to score when Lehigh shortstop Matt Hand had a throwing error on a Vaughn Parker II groundout.  Lehigh's Ryan Malloy hit a long two-run homer to left in the second to give the Mountain Hawks the lead.  Lehigh (0-4) added to the advantage with an unearned run in the top of the fourth to make it 3-1.

The game turned in the bottom of the fourth when the Mount sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven times to grab an 8-3 lead.  Patrick Causa led off the inning with a base hit, and he moved to second on a Thomas Savastio single to short.  The Mount then put on the double steal, and Causa was able to score when the throw got past the third baseman and went into left field.  After a Thomas Bramley walk, Zack Costello tied the score with a base hit through the right side.  A.J. Narcise was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and after a strikeout, Nicholson was hit by a pitch to force home the go-ahead run.  That chased Lehigh starter Levi Stoudt, and Alex Kriss greeted reliever Ethan Frohman with a single to right to put the Mount ahead by two runs.  Parker then walked to force home the next run, and Causa closed out the scoring with his second hit in the inning, a two-run single to left.

Lehigh's Jeff Shanfeldt cut the Mount lead to 8-5 with a two-run double in the fifth, and an Eric Chichocki RBI double in the eighth made it 8-6.  Lehigh had a leadoff walk in the ninth, but Kuypers retired the next three batters to preserve the victory.

McGough started for the Mount and struck out six while allowing five runs (four earned) in five innings of work.  Kuypers closed the game out from there, allowing one run while striking out four in four innings to earn the save.  Nicholson went 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Causa was 2-for-3 with two RBI in the win.  The Mount stole four bases in the contest.  Stoudt took the loss for Lehigh, allowing seven runs (six earned) in 3.1 innings, striking out five.  Frohman allowed one run over the final 4.2 innings for the Mountain Hawks. 

The teams will conclude the three-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader at Calvert Hall High School.  Both games will be nine-inning contests with game one beginning at 1:00 p.m.