Posted by: Marc Mullen
John Vincent drove in the Explorers' first run. |
Bill Kern extended his hitting streak to 11 games. |
ARLINGTON, VA - In a critical three-game Atlantic 10 set against the George Washington Colonials at Barcroft Park Friday, the La Salle University Baseball team dropped the first game to GW, 5-4.
With both teams just two wins outside a A-10 playoff spot entering the three-game series this weekend, it makes these games even more crucial, especially now for the Explorers, who have now lost four straight in the conference and five in a row overall.
La Salle (16-26, 6-9 A-10) scored the game's first run in the second inning, thanks to a RBI groundout by John Vincent, which scored George Hudock who led off the inning with a walk.
The Colonials answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. With a runners on first and second and two down, Chris Marsicano double down the left field line to drive in one and was followed by Doug Eizen's two-RBI single to center.
The Explorers took back the lead in the very next inning, plating three unearned runs in the top of the fifth, all with two outs as well. Vincent reached on an error to lead off the frame and moved to third on the next two groundball outs.
Bill Kern, who extended his team-high hitting streak to 11 games in the third, reached on an error, which scored Vincent. Justin Handler followed with a single to right field and Prall knocked the pair home with his 17th double of the season.
With the 4-3 lead, La Salle starter Dennis Burge was relieved during the sixth inning after Tom Shanley was hit by a pitch and then stole second on a strikeout. He threw 5.1 innings, allowed five hits, three runs and struck out five. John Reifsnyder got the last two outs of the inning to end the threat.
George Washington (16-25, 7-7 A-10) reclaimed the lead in the seventh, though, as they loaded the bases with nobody out. A two-RBI single to center by Mickey Shupin gave the Colonials the 5-4 lead and kept runners on second and first, still without an out.
With some great defensive help, the Explorers clung to the one-run deficit as they used a double play to get out of the threat in the seventh. They also escaped the eighth without allowing any runs, even though George Washington started the inning with second and third and with no outs.
However, Dan Pfau shut the door in the ninth to earn his third save of the year, recording the final two outs of the contest. He came in to relieve Derek Haese, who got the first out of the inning, but then hit Matt Burns to allow the tying run on base.
Derek Lutz started the game and threw eight innings for the Colonials, allowing just four hits, one earned run, and struck out 13 batters, as he improved to 4-2 for the season. Reifsnyder was saddled with the loss, dropping his record to 2-3.
The two teams will face off again Saturday and Sunday with both games starting at 1 PM.
