Philadelphia, PA - La Salle junior Ryan Parfit (Flourtown, PA/La Salle) hit a grand slam homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the La Salle University baseball team a 7-5 victory over the Xavier University Musketeers, today, April 25, 2004.

The Musketeers got on the scoreboard early and had a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the second. La Salle then had its first of three one run inning when senior Scott Gehringer (Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen) scored on an error by the third baseman.

Xavier scored another run in the fifth inning and had a 4-1 lead until freshman Kevin McLoughlin (Philadelphia, PA/La Salle) scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth. The Explorers then added one more run in the seventh as Parfit also scored on a wild pitch.

The score was 4-3 heading into the eighth inning. The Musketeers added one more run and took a 5-3 lead. La Salle then loaded the bases. McLoughlin reached after being hit by a pitch, he was followed by junior Phil Marino (Blackwood, NJ/Highland) who knocked a single through the right side. Sophomore Kevin McCarthy (Ambler, PA/Wissahicken) then walked and the bases were loaded for Parfit.

Parfit drilled a grand slam homerun to left field and gave La Salle the 7-5 lead. The Explorers held on to the lead and recorded their 18th victory of the season. They are now 18-18-2 overall and 4-8 in the conference.

La Salle senior Eric Ruhland (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge) started on the mound for the Explorers. Ruhland pitched in six innings before freshman Gerard Breslin (Havertown,PA/Haverford) came in at relief. Breslin pitched in the final three innings.

The Explorers continue conference action as they host the George Washington Colonials this weekend, May 1st and 2nd.