March 2, 2007

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE - Senior Dan Waters threw six innings, allowed just two runs - one earned - on three hits and struck out five batters, en route to his second win of the season, an 11-7 victory over host Jacksonville.

La Salle (3-2) jumped out to a 7-2 lead after the first six innings, scoring two runs in both the first and third innings and three more in the top of the sixth.

Junior John Rickards scored two runs in that time and drove in a third with an RBI double. He finished 2-for-4 with three runs. Freshman John Malloy also plated two runs, the second on an RBI single by senior Rich Prall, who was 3-for-5 in the game.

Waters (2-0) allowed an unearned run in the first inning, but settled down, at one point retiring 11 batters in a row and 15-of-16. In both the fourth and fifth innings, he fanned back-to-back batters to start the frame.

He ran into a little trouble in the bottom of the sixth, as the Dolphins, who already scored one, loaded the bases with two outs. However, Waters struck out Jimmy Potucek and ended that threat.

Jacksonville (5-9) broke through in the seventh, thanks in part to the free pass. They drew four walks in the inning, and three of them scored, before La Salle reliever Gerard Breslin was able to get the final two outs of the inning.

La Salle added four more insurance runs in the top of the ninth, the big blow, a three-run triple by TJ Chism, plating Prall, Rickards, and Dennis Burge, and then he scored one batter later.

The runs were needed, as Jacksonville answered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it would not be enough.

The Explorers (3-2) will face the Dolphins again Saturday, with a doubleheader starting at 1 PM and then play one on Sunday.