March 24, 2007

Box Score Game 1
Box Score Game 2

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle University Baseball team hosted Duquesne in an Atlantic 10 Conference doubleheader at Hank DeVincent Field, Saturday, and dropped both games, 6-2 and 8-3.

 

Despite the losses, the Explorers one through four hitters combined for 13 of the 15 hits, four runs and three RBI, as Billy Kern was 5-for-8 with a pair of runs, and John Malloy had three hits - two doubles - and two runs as he extended his hitting streak to 17 straight games.

 

In the first game, both starters worked quickly with the only mistake by La Salle's Dan Waters, as he surrendered a second-inning solo home run to the Dukes' Mike Carroll - the only run for either team through five innings.

 

Leading 1-0 entering the sixth, Duquesne added three more in the frame (just one earned run) as they sent nine men to the plate in the inning. Waters retired the first two batters, but back-to-back singles plated the first, then the Dukes loaded the bases with another single and a walk.

 

Waters looked to be out of the jam as he got Brian Bernardo to pop-up in the infield, but the ball was dropped and two more runs scored. After another walk loaded the bases again, the Explorers turned to Dennis Burge, who avoided any more damage by getting a strike out.

 

Malloy led off the bottom of the frame with a double to left-center, forcing Duquesne to turn to its bullpen, bringing in Travis Rife to relieve Jeff Naughton. Kern followed with a single, and a fielding error allowed Malloy to score and Kern to reach third. Rich Prall drove in Kern with a sacrifice fly to left field, cutting the deficit to 4-2.

 

However, Duquesne plated an insurance run in both the eighth and ninth innings, while Rife allowed just one hit - a ninth inning single to John Rickards - the rest of the way to close out the first game.

 

Naughton improved his record to 3-2 with the win, throwing five innings with five strike outs. Rife earned his first save of the season pitching the last four innings. Waters suffered the loss, dropping his record to 2-3 for the year, while Burge pitched the final 3.1 innings and struck out five batters.

 

Duquesne (8-8, 2-0 A-10) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after just one inning in the second game with the big hit, a two-run round tripper by Carroll, his second of the day. The Dukes added a pair of runs in both the fourth and sixth innings to take an eight-run lead.

 

La Salle (7-10, 0-2 A-10) responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, as Malloy led off the frame with a double followed by a single by Kern to set up first-and-third with no outs. Back-to-back RBI singles by Prall and Rickards plated the runners on base; and after two outs, Justin Handler was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

 

However, as they did in the seventh inning as well, the Explorers left the bases loaded, unable to get a damaging two-out bases loaded hit.

 

To lead off the eighth, Mike Dertouzos cracked his first home run off the season to make it an 8-3 game, but the Explorers would not get any closer.

 

Duquesne's Gary Pierpont picked up the win in the second game, improving to 2-1, after throwing six innings. The Explorers' Kenny Elkind took the loss and is now 1-2 for the season.

 

The two teams will complete the three-game series with one game Sunday, starting at 12 PM.