EASTON, Pa. (Interstat) — Sam Fairhurst delivered a masterful performance on the mound, and a timely pinch-hit home run provided the necessary cushion as the Lehigh Mountain Hawks edged the Lafayette Leopards 3-2 in the first game of a Patriot League doubleheader Saturday at Kamine Stadium.

The game was a pitcher’s duel defined by one decisive swing. Lehigh’s Cadeyrn Ahearn, batting for Robby Grasso with one out in the top of the seventh inning, launched a two-run homer to right-center field off Lafayette starter Gregory Quintana. The blast scored pinch-runner Jack Frankovic and broke a 1-1 tie, ultimately providing the winning margin.

That hit made a winner of Fairhurst, who was dominant for Lehigh. The right-hander pitched seven strong innings, allowing just one unearned run on no hits. He walked three and struck out eight, overpowering the Lafayette lineup. His performance marked a sharp turnaround from his previous start on April 11 against Army, where he allowed three earned runs over six innings in a loss.

Quintana was the hard-luck loser for Lafayette, his record falling despite a quality start. He went 6 2/3 innings, surrendering three earned runs on five hits while striking out seven. He was relieved by Braden Pomponi after Ahearn’s homer, who recorded the final out of the seventh.

The Leopards struck first, capitalizing on a Lehigh error in the fourth inning. Matt Colella reached on a miscue by the left fielder and advanced to third. After a strikeout, Boden Fernsler connected for a two-run homer to left field, his only hit of the game, giving Lafayette a 2-0 lead. Those were the only runs Fairhurst would allow.

Lehigh began its comeback in the sixth when Aidan Quinn led off the inning with a solo home run to left, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Quinn finished 1 for 4.

The Mountain Hawks managed five hits total, with Ian Wirtz collecting two singles. Lafayette was held to just three hits, with Will Dobil’s first-inning double and Alex Barrist’s third-inning single preceding Fernsler’s homer.

After Ahearn’s go-ahead homer in the seventh, Lafayette threatened in the bottom half. Bode Grieve walked, was sacrificed to second, and advanced to third on a groundout, putting the tying run 90 feet away with two outs. Fairhurst escaped the jam by getting Barrist to line out to shortstop.

With the victory, Lehigh improved to 11-25 overall and evened the weekend series after a 4-2 loss on Friday. Lafayette fell to 8-28. The win probability, according to Interstat’s ELO system, had favored Lehigh at 57.3%, while its game simulator had projected a 4-1 Lehigh victory.

The teams were set to conclude the doubleheader later Saturday.