PHILADELPHI, PA - After playing its first 10 games on the road, the La Salle University Baseball team returned home to face Central Connecticut State at Hank DeVincent Field Friday afternoon, and the Blue Devils spoiled the Explorers home opener with a 13-5 victory.

 

Both teams started the game off the same way, getting runners on first and second thanks to back-to-back walks. Despite the gift of bases on balls, neither team could plate a runner in the first.

 

Central Connecticut State (3-2) broke through in the second inning, after loading the bases with nobody out. Seth Brown delivered with a two-RBI single, which chased La Salle starter sophomore Brandon Geib, whose record fell to 0-3 with the loss. Blue Devil Richie Tri welcomed Explorer reliever sophomore Jamie Cowan with a three-run home run and two batters later Jay Schillaci added a two-run homer.

 

La Salle (1-10) would fall behind by as many as nine runs before a fifth-inning rally. Three straight singles by freshman Matt Burns, senior John Reifsnyder and freshman Kenny Elkind resulted in their first run and after junior Billy Kern battled to draw a walk to load the bases the Explorers struck again.

 

Freshman Justin Handler drove a ball into the left-center field gap resulting in a three-RBI triple, which forced the Blue Devils to change pitchers.

 

Derek Roberts (1-0) replaced starter Matt Gianini and allowed just a sacrifice fly to the first batter he faced, senior Rich Prall, a walk to Kern, and a single to Reifsnyder in his five innings of work and struck out six batters.

 

Central Connecticut State answered with two more runs in the top of the sixth inning, pushing its lead back to 11-5. John Romano hit a solo home run and Brown later knocked in his third run of the day, plating Scott Appleton.

 

The Blue Devils increased their lead to eight runs after they connected on their fourth home run of the game, as Matt Memoli hit a two-run shot in the top of the seventh inning.