LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. – The Lions were dealt a double header loss to the Trojans of Virginia State opening their weekend series on Saturday, April 18
th at the LU Baseball Complex. Freshman pitcher
Sam Garmoe (Bowie, MD/Bowie HS) struck out two batters as the Lions scored three late runs in a 6-3 loss.
Garmoe completed the game walking one batter and surrendering ten hits for five earned runs. Junior infielder
Charles Gibbons (Brooklyn, NY/Genesee CC) led the Lions offensively with three hits and two stolen bases. Junior catcher
Edwin Rivera (Bronx, N.Y./Gompers HS) and senior outfielder
Stephen Smith (Los Angeles, Calif./Dorsey HS) both had RBIs in the sixth inning.
The Trojans got off to a fast start with four runs in the first inning. Gibbons singled to the right field in the bottom of the first but Lincoln struggled in the next five innings with no hits. VSU scored runs in the fourth and fifth innings taking a 6-0 advantage until the Lions finally got things rolling with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Sophomore infielder
DeVante Parker (Bear, DE/Appoquinimink HS) singled to left field followed by another single to right field by
Charles Gibbons (Brooklyn, NY/Genesee CC). With runners in scoring position
Edwin Rivera (Bronx, N.Y./Gompers HS) hit an RBI single to center field scoring Parker for the Lions first run. An aggressive Gibbons stole home for Lincoln's second run sending Rivera to second base. Next, freshman
John Burns (Virginia Beach, VA/Bishop Sullivan Catholic School) drew a walk against the VSU pitcher and then Rivera was brought home on a RBI double to center field by
Stephen Smith (Los Angeles, Calif./Dorsey HS).
Trailing the Trojans 6-3 in the seventh inning
Sam Garmoe (Bowie, MD/Bowie HS) gave the Lions a final chance holding VSU to one hit at the mound. In the bottom of the inning sophomore outfielder
Latuan Boggerty (Dover, DE/Polytech HS) singled to third base sparking the Lions. Gibbons singled to shortstop for his third hit of the game advancing Boggerty.
Edwin Rivera (Bronx, N.Y./Gompers HS) followed with a blast to right field, but the Trojans defense threw out Boggerty at the plate ending the game.
In the second game Virginia State dominated the Lions with 24 hits in a 21-11 victory. The Trojans scored six runs in the first inning, eight runs in the second, five runs in the third inning, and one run in each of the fifth and sixth innings. Despite the final score, Lincoln had 15 hits including five doubles. Six different Lions had two hits each while
Charles Gibbons (Brooklyn, NY/Genesee CC) scored three runs.
Ronald Lashley (Brooklyn, NY/Benjamin Banneker Academy) doubles to center field in the first inning after
Michael Howard (Bronx, NY/Utica College) reached base on an error by the VSU infield. Gibbons loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch as
Edwin Rivera (Bronx, N.Y./Gompers HS) followed with a two RBI single to right field scoring Howard and Lashley. The Lions scored their next run on a single to left field by junior infielder Terrell Berringer. Gibbons scored on that play as the Lions cut into the VSU lead 6-3.
Latuan Boggerty (Dover, DE/Polytech HS) and
Michael Howard (Bronx, NY/Utica College) both had hits for the Lions in the fourth inning. Boggerty doubled to left field and Howard singled to the pitcher. In the fifth inning Gibbons singled to right field and then moved to second on a groundout by
Edwin Rivera (Bronx, N.Y./Gompers HS). Sophomore infielder
Brendan Sherman-Johnson (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) doubled to right field for an RBI scoring Gibbons.
Stephen Smith (Los Angeles, Calif./Dorsey HS) singled to left field for an RBI scoring Sherman-Johnson. Smith stole second base and then reached third base on a single up the middle by Boggerty. The next Lions hit was a single to third base by outfielder Michael Sistrum scoring Smith for the RBI. Howard concluded the Lions four run inning off of six hits with an RBI single to center field scoring Boggerty.
In the next inning Lincoln added four more runs on four hits. Gibbons singled to shortstop and then made his way to second base. Rivera was next with a single to left field while Gibbons scored on a passed ball. Sherman-Johnson reached on an error by the VSU infield moving Rivera to third base. Lincoln scored their next run on an RBI double to center field by Terrell Berringer.
Stephen Smith (Los Angeles, Calif./Dorsey HS) doubled to center field for an RBI bringing home Sherman-Johnson.
Avery Lomax (Bowie, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt HS) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for an RBI scoring Boggerty for the game's final run. Virginia State won 21-11.
