March 10, 2007
Box Score 1
Box Score 2
PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle University Baseball team opened its home slate Saturday, hosting the Cornell Big Red, and, like they did last year, the Explorers dropped their first two at Hank DeVincent Field, losing 7-3 and 6-4.
Cornell (3-3) scored a pair of runs in the second inning, then tacked on three more in the fifth inning, and after Brant McKown's two run home run, the Big Red led 5-1.
The Explorers responded with their own run in the second - an RBI double by Davis Hewett - and scored a pair in the bottom of the fifth - an RBI double by John Malloy followed by an RBI single by Justin Handler.
The Big Red scored a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh and starter Jim Hyland finished off the Explorers in the bottom half of the inning to register his first win of the season in a complete game.
La Salle starter Kenny Elkind suffered his first loss of the season, but did strike out four batters in his four innings of work.
In the second game, both teams scored four early runs, as Cornell jumped out 4-0 with an unearned run in the first and three in the second on a bases clearing double by Brian Kaufman.
The Explorers again answered with three runs in the bottom of the second and one in the third. Kevin Jones drove in Billy Kern with a single, then Matt Burns scored on a wild pitch and Mike Dertouzos scored on a balk. Then, in the third, Dertouzos picked up an RBI with a single plating Rich Prall.
It could have been more in both innings, however, Malloy lined into a double play with the bases loaded in the second, and Jones ended the third grounding into another twin killing.
Over the next four innings, reliever Blake Hamilton limited La Salle to just three bases runners to pick up his first win of the season. He went five innings total, allowing just three hits and striking out three.
Explorer starter Drew Gerhart also went five innings, striking out five, while Gerard Breslin pitched the last two and suffered the loss when two unearned runs scored in the top of the sixth.
Cornell, who has played every game this season at Hank Devincent Field (the Big Red played four games last weekend versus Bucknell here), will play one more when they face Villanova, Sunday starting at 1 PM.
La Salle (5-7), who won 11 games last year at home, dropped their first two at home in 2006, as well, before winning six of their next seven. They will look to get back on track when they face Iona at 1 PM, Sunday.
