March 30, 2007

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Trailing 5-1 after five innings, the La Salle University Baseball team chipped away at Temple's lead and, with the bases loaded in the ninth, Davis Hewett knocked in the tying and winning runs to lift the Explorers to a 6-5 victory in the first game of the three-game Atlantic 10 Conference series at Hank DeVincent Field, Friday.

 

Down by a run entering the frame, John Malloy hit a leadoff single and moved to second on Rich Prall's third hit of the day. John Rickards was then hit by a pitch to load the bases before Hewett singled through the left side to score Malloy and pinch-runner Trevin Jaggars for the game-winner.

 

It was slow going for the La Salle offense, though, as they scored just one run - a sacrifice fly by Rickards plating Billy Kern in the fourth - off Owl starter Arshwin Asjes through five innings.

 

Temple (7-14, 1-3 A-10), on the other hand, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, as Devon Swope hit a two-run home run, plating Mike Kelch. Then in the fourth, Kelch scored again on an RBI-single by Dan Brady.

 

After La Salle cut the deficit to 3-1 with Kern's run, the Owls tacked on another pair in the fifth. Matt Hertz doubled to lead off the frame, was bunted to second and scored on Ryan Weber's triple. A walk to Sean Barksdale sent Explorer starter Dan Waters to the bench after pitching 4.1 innings and striking out five.

 

Dennis Burge came in for relief, allowed an RBI single to Kelch - who was 4-for-5 on the day - but then scattered just four hits the rest of the way, while striking out four batters in 4.2 innings of work.

 

In the sixth, Prall and Hewett both reached base with singles and moved to third and second respectively on a wild pitch during TJ Chism's at bat. With the pair in scoring position, Chism roped a double to right field and cut the Temple advantage to 5-3.

 

Two innings later, it was Hewett providing an unearned run for the Explorers to cut the deficit to just one (5-4). He reached base on an error, moved to second on a ground-ball out, stole third, and when the throw went into left field, scored. Then in the ninth, he would drive in the deciding runs.

 

Prall led the team with three hits, while Malloy, who extended his hitting streak to 20 games, Hewett and Chism all had two, while Hewett and Chism also drove in two.

 

For Burge, he picked up his third win of the season (3-0) and has now won five straight decisions dating back to last season. His last loss came in a game April 21, 2006 at Charlotte, but since, he is 5-0 with one save in 44 IP (12 games), has struck out 28, and has a 2.05 ERA (10 earned runs).

 

Asjes, who went a total of seven innings, allowed just three runs and struck out nine batters, did not figure in the decision, as Kyle Monahan (0-1) suffered the loss.