March 25, 2007

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle University Baseball team broke up a 5-5 tie with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning only to see Duquesne respond with three in the ninth to win the final game of the three-game Atlantic 10 Conference series, 8-7, at Hank DeVincent Field Sunday afternoon.

 

In the eighth, the Explorers had runners on first (Brian Meagher) and third (Justin Handler) with one out when John Malloy singled to left scoring Handler to take a one-run lead. After a strike out, Rich Prall singled to load the bases and then, the Dukes' third pitcher of the inning Keith Meyer, threw a wild pitch plating Meagher.

 

Duquesne opened the ninth with a single and double, and cut the lead to 7-6 on Nolan Pena's grounder. With a runner on third, the Dukes drew back-to-back walks to load the bases before TJ Chism got the second out of the inning with a K. However, Aaron Janusey knocked in the tying and winning run with a single up the middle.

 

Meyer (1-0) closed out the ninth to pick up the win, allowing just a walk to Handler - La Salle's only one of the day - and stranded him - the 10th Explorer left on base - while Chism's record dropped to 1-3 with the loss.

 

Duquesne (9-8, 3-0 A-10) plated a pair of unearned runs in the second inning, before Handler knocked in Davis Hewett to cut the Dukes' lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the frame.

 

La Salle (7-11, 0-3 A-10) took its first lead of the series as they plated three runs in the third inning to take a 4-2 advantage. Malloy and Billy Kern both got on base with infield singles, and Prall moved them both up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Hewett drove the pair in with a two-RBI single and scored on a Chism single.

 

The Dukes scored a pair of runs in the fourth to tie the game, and then took a 5-4 lead on a Mike Carroll solo home run - his third HR of the series - in the sixth.

 

The Explorers tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a two-out RBI single through the left side by Malloy, plating Handler.

 

Malloy had a four-hit day, the first of his career as he extended his hitting streak to 18 games, and drove in a pair of runs, while Hewett went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.

 

La Salle will next be in action traveling to Lehigh for the opening game of the Liberty Bell Classic, Wednesday with a 3:00 PM start. They Explorers will host Temple next weekend in their next A-10 series, Friday (2:30 PM), Saturday (1:00 PM), and Sunday (1:30 PM).