DURHAM, NC - The La Salle Baseball team played even with Duke for six innings, but a three-run seventh by the Blue Devils proved to be the difference maker in a 4-1 loss.

Duke (6-10) opened the scoring when Jimmy Gallagher hit a single, plating Matt Williams with one out in the fourth inning. That was followed by a single by Adam Murray, and a double steal put runners at second and third with one out.

La Salle's Dan Waters (0-2) then intentionally walked Jonathan Nicolla to load the bases, but got out of the jam by striking out the final two batters of the inning.

With one out in the top of the fifth, the Explorers then loaded the bases, with John Reifsnyder and Mike Essery getting on with singles and Billy Kern taking first after being hit by a pitch.

The Explorers could only manage one run as well, as Justin Handler singled through the left side of the infield, plating Reifsnyder. However Rich Prall grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the Explorer threat, and the team would get just one more hit the rest of the way.

Waters would run into more trouble in the bottom of the seventh inning, loading the bases on two hit batsmen sandwiched around a single. He managed a sacrifice fly to Javier Socorro, before giving way to Kenny Elkind.

Williams greated Elkind with his second hit of the day, a two-RBI single to left field and that was all the help Tony Bajoczky (1-4) would need. He threw the five-hit complete game, allowing just the one run and striking out nine batters to get his first win of the season.

La Salle (1-8) will play one more game with the Blue Devils, Wednesday starting at 3 PM, before coming back to Philadelphia and hosting five straight games in a six-day span.

They host Central Connecticut State, Friday and Sunday, and Cornell, Saturday, all games starting at 12 PM. Then they have Delaware State and Villanova come in next week, Tuesday and Wednesday, both starting at 2:30 PM.