The Dominican University baseball team returned to the diamond on Tuesday, falling to the Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen, 7-6, in game two of a two-game series.
 
The Stars put up three runs in the top of the eighth, capitalizing on a pair of Lebanon Valley throwing errors to knot the game at 6-6 after eight innings.  Dominican managed a runner in the top of the ninth when Hayden Young was hit by pitch but could not move him along, setting the stage for the Dutchmen walk-off when Mitch Rickabaugh rolled an infield single with two outs and the bases loaded.
 
"Although the result was not what we were looking for," said Steve Hardman, the Stars' head baseball coach, "I was very happy with our fight today. I challenged the guys today before the game to play with more fire and fight to the end and they did just that."
 
The Dutchmen took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after a pair of Dominican miscues in the field.  Freshman right-hander Trevor Fulmer managed to minimize the damage, stranding a pair of runners with back-to-back fly outs to centerfield.
 
The Stars answered in the top of the second, scratching across a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead.  Johnny Condron sparked the rally with a one-out double down the left field line.  A wild pitch and hit batter put runners at the corners for Dominican.  Mason Baker stole second and both Baker and Condron came around to score when Camron Stafford singled down the first baseline.
 
The Dutchmen pulled back in front in the top of the fifth, scoring a pair of runs to chase Fulmer from the game.  The rookie lasted 4.1 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits and two walks before turning the game over to classmate Brandon Lozano who ended up taking the loss.
 
Lebanon Valley tallied an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth, extending their lead to 4-2.
 
Stafford was the catalyst for another Dominican rally in the top of the seventh, leading off the inning with a single through the left side. Kevin Evans followed with single of his own.  A wild pitch put both runners into scoring position for Ryan Simak who delivered a run-scoring single to pull the Stars within a run, 4-3, with nobody out.  However, the Dutchmen were able to navigate through Dominican's two, three and four hitters without allowing the tying run to cross.
 
Lebanon Valley added two runs in the bottom of the seventh and looked to tack on a third when Rickabaugh singled through the left side with runners at first and second but Condron cut down Nick O'Shea at the plate, the second runner of the game gunned down by Condron at the plate.
 
Young led off the top of the eighth for Dominican, working a pinch hit walk.  After Condron walked on four pitches, Baker reached on a fielder's choice with a high throw at second allowing Condron to slide in safe, loading the bases.  A sacrifice fly  pushed across the first run of the inning before Simak reached on a throwing error one out later, allowing both Baker and Condron to score, tying the game at 6-6.
 
Lozano worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth, helped when Mike Buckley cut down Bryan Towers trying to steal second.
 
After a scoreless top of the ninth, a leadoff single and sacrifice bunt chased Lozano from the game and allowed the winning run in scoring position.  After an intentional walk and a groundout, Josh Herring worked a seven-pitch walk to load the bases after falling behind in the count 0-2, loading the bases for Rickabaugh who came through with his fourth hit of the ballgame.
 
In total, the Stars managed nine hits in the loss—two apiece for Simak, Frankie Sessa and Stafford.
 
Lozano, making his first appearance of the season on the mound, went four-plus innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on nine hits, falling to 0-1 on the season.
 
Dominican, now 3-4 on the season, will enjoy an off day on Wednesday before returning to action on Thursday against Wilkes University at 4:00 p.m. ET in Fort Pierce, Florida.