April 10, 2007

NEW HAVEN, Conn.--One of the best things about baseball is that there's always a game going on somewhere. That's especially true in college baseball. The Yale baseball team doesn't get a break following its exciting, walk-off win over Columbia on Monday. The Bulldogs (9-18) are right back in action on Tuesday, taking on Sacred Heart (9-15) in a non-conference doubleheader at Yale Field.

Yale snapped a four-game skid with a sweep of the Lions, its first doubleheader sweep of the season. Tuesday's games are the conclusion of a six-game homestand for the Bulldogs. Ryan Lavarnway is the Ivy League leader in all three Triple Crown categories (.462 average, seven homers, 36 RBIs), and also leads the league in hits (49), doubles (14) and total bases (89). Josh Cox has successfully swiped 18-of-19 stolen base attempts, while Marc Sawyer has scored an Ivy-leading 29 runs. Sawyer has the longest active hitting streak on the team at seven games. Stefan Schropp, Brandon Josselyn and Steve Gilman all have two wins to lead the pitching staff.

The Pioneers have lost six of their last seven games, including three of four to Northeast Conference rival Central Connecticut over the weekend. Sacred Heart is led by Jeff Hanson, who boasts a .342 batting average, 27 hits and 19 RBIs. Hanson is also tied for the team lead with two home runs and eight doubles. As a team, the Pioneers are hitting just .261. Jay Monti has been sensational on the mound for Sacred Heart. In six starts, Monti has allowed just three earned runs, putting together a 0.70 ERA in 38.1 innings. Monti has three complete games, and has been a part of three shutouts.

The Bulldogs swept last year's doubleheader, 1-0 and 6-2. The first pitch on Tuesday is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Yale Field.

Report filed by Joe Clifford, Yale Sports Publicity