MADISON, N.J. (Feb. 23, 2017) – Freshman starting pitcher Pete Violante allowed one run over 6.2 innings and the offense provided plenty of backup in a darkness-shortened 6-1 victory for the Drew University baseball team over Lehman College on an unseasonably warm February afternoon at Doc Young Field.
 
By the Numbers
The game was shorted to seven innings due to darkness at 5:22 p.m. The Rangers improve to 2-0 to start the 2017 season by winning the home opener over Lehman, who falls to 0-1 in their first action of the spring. The most pleasant number of the day was the one on the thermometer. First pitch at 2:55 p.m. was thrown in 68-degree weather under a bright sun.
 
Top Performers
• Violante picks up the first win of his collegiate career after scattering six hits over 6.2 innings of work with two walks and five strikeouts.
• Freshman designated hitter Anthony Tagliaferro recorded the first two hits of his career at Drew, batting 2-for-4 with a run scored against Lehman pitching.
• Junior Paul Roth earns his first career save after recording an important out with two pitches in the top of the seventh, which proved to be the final at-bat for the Lightning with the Rangers up 4-1. Roth inherited a bases-loaded situation with two outs and retired his only batter of the game with a flyout to right field.
 
Turning Point
Drew erased a 1-0 deficit and took the lead for good in the fifth on a foul sacrifice fly from senior first baseman Tommy Broyles and an RBI infield single from senior catcher Mike Miraglia. The 2-1 advantage would be all Violante would need on Thursday.
 
Highlights
• Some sloppy play by Lehman led to two more Drew runs in the sixth. Senior third baseman Jonathan Rodrigues got on base via infield single before an error, a walk and two wild pitches plated a pair of runs.
• Sophomore left fielder Jayson Mitch cracked a double off the Doc Young outfield hedges on the fly, setting up another two unearned runs for the Rangers on another pair of Lehman errors later in the frame. The Lightning committed six miscues in the game.
 
Up Next
The Rangers return to Doc Young Field on Wednesday, March 1 against William Paterson University at 3:00 p.m. With the long-range forecast predicting rain on Wednesday, the teams are considering a move to Tuesday, Feb. 28. Stay tuned to DrewRangers.com and @GoDrewRangers on Twitter for all schedule updates.