DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University baseball team picked up its second walk-off win in four days as Joey Lodato came around to score on a throwing error in the bottom of the ninth to cap a 9-8 victory, and season-series victory, over Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom foe FDU-Florham.

The Aggies improved to 5-7 overall and 2-1 in MAC Freedom play while the Devils fell to 5-7 and 1-2.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Lodato hit a slow roller towards the second baseman and legged out the infield single to keep the inning alive. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, and FDU decided to put Timmy Lallis aboard with an intentional walk to get to Tom Crooks.

The sophomore battled to a 3-2 count and fouled off two pitches before sending a ground ball to shortstop that was fielded cleanly, but the throw was short and just wide of the bag allowing Lodato to score from second base and send the home dugout into celebration with a 9-8 win.

Early in this one, DelVal battled out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the second and responded with one run on two hits in the bottom of the frame to take a 1-0 lead. Zakary Zgura drove in the run with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Luke Hendricks.

FDU tied the game in the third with an unearned run after a throwing error and it added another unearned tally in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead.

The Aggies regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Lodato singled to left field to score Hendricks and Troy Lachenmeyer, and Timmy Lallis legged out an infield single to plate Neal Flogel and make it 4-2.

The Devils responded in the next half inning with three runs on three hits and one error to pull ahead again, 5-4. Billy Pourgiel had the big knock in the inning with a bases loaded single that brought in two, and Tyler McCulloch had an RBI double.

DelVal was held to just one hit in the bottom of the fifth, and FDU tacked on two more runs on three hits in the sixth to extend its lead to 7-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, Neal Flogel led off with a single and came around to score with a stolen base and an error to spark a three run rally that tied the game at 7-7. Schuetrumpf delivered a line drive single back up the middle that scored Tom Crooks and Lodato to knot the score going into the seventh.

FDU broke the tie in the top of the eighth when Joe Moskowitz singled up the middle to score Matt Nodoro who was aboard with a single of his own. DelVal stranded a runner on third to head to the bottom of the six still down one, 8-7.

The Aggies loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth with one out and Lachenmeyer hit a slow dribbler to second base that scored Crooks and tied the game, but they could not take the lead as it stranded runners at second and third.   

Freshman relief pitcher Zach Goodell got a 1-2-3 ninth inning, capped off with a punch out, to set up the dramatic finish.  

Goodell was stellar in relief as he pitched four innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with two strike outs. Joe McGlade started the game and went five innings allowing five runs (three earned) and six walks while punching out two.

Lodato shined with a 3-for-5 effort, two runs scored, and two RBIs while Hendricks, Lachenmayer, and Lallis all had multi-hit games. Lachenmayer added two walks, an RBI, and a run scored and Hendricks came around to score twice.

Eight different players registered a hit for the Devils led by a 3-for-5 effort Matt Nodoro who added three runs scored and an RBI. Podurgiel went 2-for-4 with two runs driven in.

FDU used four pitchers in the game, but the last one, Chris Portelli, suffered the loss after going 2.2 innings and allowing two unearned runs with two walks and two strikeouts.

The Aggies will look for their fourth win in five games when they travel to take on Ursinus College on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.