HOBOKEN, N.J. – Junior left fielder Michael Mercado drove in freshman catcher John Brembs with a two-out single in the top of the 12th inning to lift Lehman College to a 10-9 win over Stevens Institute of Technology on Monday in a non-conference baseball game at the Dobbelaar Baseball Field.
Brembs drew a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout before Mercado singled up the middle to put Lehman (1-0) ahead 10-9.
Stevens (7-5) came back from a 9-5 deficit with four runs in the final two innings to force extra innings. The Ducks, who won their last three games in their final at-bat, had runners in scoring position in all three of the extra frames.
Lehman freshman right-hander Xavier Colon pitched the final 2.1 innings, striking out the final two batters with a runner on second base to earn the win.
Lehman led the entire way, taking the lead in the top of the first when Mercado doubled and came home on a groundout. The Lightning scored three runs in the top of the eighth and built their largest lead, 9-5. Senior designated hitter Ferdi German hit a two-run home run and Mercado, who also scored four runs, came home on a two-out single by senior first baseman Reggie Rivera.
Stevens got two runs back in the bottom of the eighth as sophomore left fielder Eric McCormick (Edison, N.J./J.P. Stevens) and junior center fielder Tim Meehan (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) had RBI singles. In the bottom of the ninth, freshman first baseman Dan Louis (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) drove in sophomore shortstop Adam Sandt (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) with a single to right field to pull the Ducks within 9-8. Pinch runner Victor Acosta (Jersey City, N.J./Lincoln) stole second and came around with the tying run when the throw by Brembs sailed into center field.
Stevens loaded the bases with three straight two-out walks in the bottom of the tenth inning. With a 1-1 count on Louis, Meehan attempted to steal home, but Brembs applied the tag just ahead of the slide, sending the game to the 11th inning.
Sandt went 3-for-5 with three doubles and three runs batted in to lead a 16-hit Stevens attack. Meehan went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three stolen bases.
Stevens opens Skyline Conference play on Tuesday, March 22, when it hosts Mount Saint Vincent in a 4 p.m. game at the Dobbelaar Baseball Field.
