Philadelphia, PA - The La Salle University Baseball team tallied six runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn their 12th victory of the season with a 10-4 victory over the Monmouth University Hawks, today Thursday, March 25, 2004.

Explorer junior Matt Kirsch (West Chester, PA/Archbishop Carroll) earned his second win of the season on the mound as he pitched in the final two and one third innings and gave up no runs.

La Salle got on the scoreboard first as senior tri-captain Jay Snyder (Milton, PA/Milton) earned his first of three RBIs hitting a double and bringing in junior Ryan Parfit (Flourtown, PA/La Salle) in the bottom of the first. Monmouth tied the game up at one in the top of the third, but the Explorers answered right back as Parfit drove senior Scott Gehringer (Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen) in putting La Salle up 2-1.

Monmouth again tied the score up, this time at two in the top of the fourth. The score remained tied until the Hawks took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning. La Salle however would not go away as Parfit scored his second of three runs off a sophomore George Hudock (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) single. Hudock scored the Explorers fourth run when sophomore John Reifsnyder (Flourtown, PA/La Salle) tallied his lone hit of the afternoon.

Monmouth did not go away as it tied the game up again at four in the top of the seventh. The Explorers then exploded for six runs as the Hawks walked the first two batters senior Paul Ferguson (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) and sophomore Mike Essery (Havertown, PA/Cardinal O'Hara) and intentionally walked junior Phil Marino (Blackwood, NJ/Highland). Freshman Dan Paluch (Philadelphia, PA/North Catholic) came into to pinch run for Ferguson.

With the bases loaded Parfit, who finished the day a perfect 3-3 from the plate, knocked a double into center field driving in both Paluch and Essery and giving La Salle the 6-4 lead. The Explorers did not stop there as Jay Snyder drove in Marino and Parfit on a single, and freshman Rich Prall (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks West) homered to right field putting La Salle up 10-4.

La Salle sophomore Harold Grant (Wrightstown, NJ/Notre Dame) started on the mound, he pitched in four innings and struck out two batters before being relieved by senior Eric Ruhland (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge). Ruhland pitched in two and two thirds innings and also struck out two batters.

The Explorers improve to 12-4-1 on the season, topping their total victories from the 2003 season. La Salle will kick off conference action this weekend as they host the Temple University Owls in a doubleheader starting at noon.