Philadelphia, PA - In the final game of a three-game series, the La Salle Explorers hosted the George Washington Colonials on Hank DeVincent Field on Sunday afternoon. After nine innings, the Explorers managed just one run to fall to the Colonials 17-1. With the loss, La Salle fell to 18-21 overall and 4-14 in Atlantic 10 action, while the Colonials improved to 32-14 and 14-3 in conference play.

La Salle pitcher Eric Ruhland (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge) started on the mound for the Explorers. Second up to bat for the Colonials, Tom Shanley (Stanfordville, NY/Pine Plains) hit a double to get on base first in the game, and he advanced to third on a wild pitch. He then went on to score off an Anthony Raglani (Indiana, PA/Indiana) double to centerfield. Raglani scored when Ryan Roberson (Silver Spring, MD/James H. Blake) belted a shot to centerfield for a double. Geoff Milsom (New York, NY/Poly Prep) followed Raglani and Roberson in knocking a straight shot into centerfield to score Raglani to put the Colonials up 3-0 with two outs. With bases loaded, Joe Michalski (Ellicott City, MD/Mt. Hebron) took to the plate and was walked to score designated hittler Anthony Smith (Katonah, NY/John Jay) who was walked earlier in the inning for GW.

Chris Hughes (Wallingford, PA/Strath Haven) replaced Ruhland on the mound for the Explorers, looking to close out the top of the first inning. At the top of the batting order, Matt Owens (Fayetteville, GA/Fayette County) stepped to the plate to face Hughes and popped up to the centerfield just beyond the infield to score two runs for the Colonials and put the score at 6-0. Shanley popped out to left field to put the Explorers up to bat for the first time in the game.

Leading off for the Explorers, Ryan Parfitt (Flourtown, PA/La Salle) struck out bringing Rich Prall (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks West) up to bat. Prall was tagged out at first base, followed by George Hudock (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) who popped out to centerfield.

In the second inning, the Colonials put three batters up against Hughes and saw three batters come back to the dugout unsuccessful. The result was the same for the Explorers in the bottom of the inning.

Brad Rosenblat (New orleans, LA/Newman) and Milsom started off with singles followed by Jeff Fretitta (Baltimore, MD/Loyola Blakefield to pace GW. Michalski singled to drive Rosenblat in to set the score at 7-0 for the Colonials. Next, Owens singled to right field to load the bases for the Colonials. Shanley drove home Milsom to set the score at 8-0. The Explorers made the second pitching change of the game as Jeremy Rosen stepped to the mound for the Explorers. Michalski scored on a fielder's choice off a hit by Raglani.

Bill Kern (Northfield, NJ/Mainland) led off in the bottom of the third for the Explorers and singled off a hit to the shortstop. John Reifsnyder (Flourtown, PA/La Salle) hit a groundball to the shortstop who recorded a double play to tag out Kern and Reifsnyder. John Snyder (Lititz, PA/Manheim Township) then singled to left field for the Explorers.

In the 4th inning Rosenblat singled on a strong hit past third base as the ball hopped to the outfield. Michael Parker (Newton, MA/Newton South) followed with a single, again to leftfield to put runners at 1st and 2nd for GW. Michaski singled to score Rosenblat to extend GW's lead to 10-0.

Prall led off in the 4th for the Explorers and singled out to the first baseman who flipped the ball to pitcher Nate CasaGrande (Bridgewater, NJ/Raritan). Hudock walked after getting hit by a pitch to put up Scott Gehringer (Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen) for the Explorers. GW posted a double play from second to first to close out the inning.

Raglani popped out to right field to get the 5th inning started for the Colonials. The Explorers made another pitching change, as the next pitcher up on the mound for La Salle was Harold Grant (Wrightstown, NJ/Notre Dame). Roberson hit a line drive single to centerfield to put Smith up to bat for GW who singled to right field. Parker's hit to first base was handed off to Grant to get the third out.

In the bottom of the fifth, CasaGrande walked the first two batters for La Salle. Jay Snyder (Milton, PA/Milton) and Phil Marino (Blackwood, NJ/Highland) advanced on a wild pitch but the inning ended leaving runners on base for the Explorers.

With two outs in the top of the 6th inning, Matt Kirsch (West Chester, PA/Archbishop Carroll) entered the game to pitch for La Salle with Owens at the plate for GW who grounded out to Marino. In the bottom of the inning, Nick Koken (Basking Ridge, NJ/Immaculata) took to the mound for the Colonials. With two outs, Kevin McCarthy (Ambler, PA/Wissahickon) hit a long ball to right centerfield to get to second base and advance Paul Ferguson (Hatfield, PA/North Penn) to third. Brian Booth (Downingtown, PA/Malvern Prep) walked, which set up a bases loaded situation for Explorers, who then posted the third out of the inning on a pop fly to centerfield.

The Colonials loaded the bases in the 7th inning, with Smith up to bat who scored Mickey Shupin (Sea Girt, NJ/Wall) to push the score to 11-0. Reifsnyder moved to the mound next for La Salle with bases loaded as Rosenblat launched a grand slam homerun to extend the Colonials lead to 15-0.

In the final inning, Rosenblat singled to get on base for GW. Parker got on first on an error by shortstop Dan Paluch (Philadelphia, PA/North Catholic). Fertitta drilled a shot down the third base line to advance Rosenblat to third and Fertitta to second. Rosenblat scored on a fielder's choice to put the lead at 16-0 with one out in the inning and Quinn on first. Owens followed with a single to again load the bases for GW. Shupin drove home Fertitta on a fielder's choice to set the score at 17-0.

In the bottom of the ninth, GW put Dan Pfau (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) on the mound to close out the game. Kern stepped up to bat for
La Salle who singled to right centerfield. The Explorers avoided a shutout as Paluch nailed a shot deep in centerfield to score Kern on his first ever collegiate hit. Paluch advanced to third after tagging up following apop up to right field. J.B. Meadows struck out to end the contest.

The La Salle baseball team will be back in action on Tuesday when they visit DeSales at 3:00 p.m.