Feb. 16, 2007

Box Score

BOCA RATON, FL - The La Salle University Baseball team opened the 2007 season with an 8-2 defeat to the 17th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys Friday afternoon in the first game of the Florida Atlantic Beach Ball Bash at FAU Stadium.

After spotting the Cowboys a first inning run, the Explorers took their only lead of the game with a two-spot in the top of the third inning.

Freshman John Malloy led off the frame with a double to left-center, followed by sophomore Justin Handler's single. Rich Prall then tied the game with an RBI single through the right side of the infield, which scored Malloy.

Junior John Rickards was then hit by a pitch as the Explorers loaded the bases still without an out. However, Cowboy starter Matt Gardner forced Dennis Burge into a 6-4-3 double play, as Oklahoma State traded two outs for Handler's run.

Oklahoma State (4-0) responded in the bottom of the third with three runs, started with a one-out Keanon Simon double. He went 3-for-5 in the game with three runs scored and drove in another.

La Salle starter Drew Gerhart retired the next batter for the second out of the inning. However, he hit the next batter, allowed back-to-back RBI singles, and a third run scored due to an Explorer error and the Cowboys took a 4-2 lead.

Oklahoma State tacked on another run in the fourth and three more in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure the win.

Gardner (2-0) won his seventh straight game dating back to last season and Tyler Lyons picked up the save, while Gerhart (0-1) is saddled with the loss.

Prall finished the day with two hits and the only Explorer RBI, while Rickards was 1-for-1 and was hit by a pitch three times. Freshman TJ Chism picked up his first collegiate hit, while senior Billy Kern doubled in the ninth for his first hit of the season.

La Salle (0-1) continues play in the FAU Beach Ball Bash with a doubleheader against Ball State, Saturday starting at 11 AM.