PHILADELPHIA, PA - It was a special day for seniors Anthony Boscaglia (Wineland, NJ/Sacred Heart), Ryan Parfit (Flourtown, PA/La Salle), Matt Kirsch (West Chester, PA/Archbishop Carroll) and Phil Marino (Blackwood, NJ/Highland) as the foursome took to Hank DeVincent Field for their final home appearance in the Blue and Gold.
Kirsch had an extra reason to celebrate, as he checked in to pitch an inning in the second game against Richmond and in doing so became La Salle's All-Time leader in games played at 72.
The downside of the day for the seniors as well as the entire baseball team was dropping both games of the doubleheader to Richmond. The first game finished with Richmond taking a 7-4 advantage, while the Spiders claimed a 10-4 win in the second game. The Explorers fell to 17-26 overall and 8-10 in the Atlantic 10, while the Spiders improve to 18-25 and 10-7 in the conference.
In game one, the teams were at a stalemate going in to the seventh inning. With both teams sitting on four runs, the Spiders opened up the game scoring three runs in the top of the seventh to dash the Explorers hope of a vcitory.
In game one, the pitching duties were shared by Craig Mushko (Northhampton, PA/Northhampton), who started off the game and pitched 3.1 innings. Mushko allaowed three hits and gave up three runs. He also stuck out three Richmond batters before being replaced by Gerard Breslin (Havertown, PA/Havertown) who pitched the final 3.2 innings and picked up the loss. Breslin gave up four runs, including three in the final inning, struck out two batters and walked three.
Richmond pitcher Stephen Owens (Sykesville, MD/Cardinal Gibbons) picked up the win and improved his season record to 3-2. Owens struck out five Explorer batters, gave up one walk and four runs in pitching all seven innings for the Spiders.
Prall and sophomore John Vincent (Glen Burnie, MD/Cardinal Gibbons) each recorded two hits for La Salle, while Matt Dunaway (Little Rock, AR/central Arkansas Christian), Parfit, and John Rickards (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks West) rounded out the hitting for the Explorers.
In the second game, the teams were event through two innings, with Richmond scoring two runds in the top of the second. In the bottom of the second, Billy Kern (Northfield, NJ/Mainland) landed on first base for a walk when George Hudock (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown) landed a triple to center field, scoring Kern. Vincent then singled to left field, scoring Hudock and knotting the score at 2-2.
In the third inning, the Spiders opened up the scoring, knocking in four runs to take a commanding 6-2 lead. The Explorers were held scoreless the next two innings, while RIchmond added its seventh point in the top of the fourth.
In the bottom of the fifth, Rickards scored an undearned fun after Dunaway singled to land the score at 7-3. Richmond continued to add to its scoring with one run in the top of the sixth, followed for a two run top of the seventh.
The Explorers closed out the game with Rickards scoring again and ended the game with a 10-4 loss.
La Salle's pitching staff struggled in the second game, putting seven pitchers on the mound and the loss going to Jarrod Ringer (Schnecksville, PA/Parkland). Ringer controlled the first 2.2 innings, giving up six runs and walking three batters.
Richmond's Ja Jones (Brunswick, GA/Brunswick) pitched the entired game, giving up seven hits and four runs. Jones struck out five batters and walked to La Salle batters.
The Explorers will now hit the road to take on Temple on Wednesday, May 11th at 3:00 p.m.
