April 13, 2007

Box Score

NORRISTOWN, PA - John Malloy went 5-for-5 with three doubles and John Rickards had two hits, including a two-run home run, to lead the La Salle University Baseball team to a 6-5 victory over Saint Joseph's in Atlantic 10 action at Latshaw-McCarthy Field, Friday.

 

Pitching the Explorers to the victory in the first game of the three-game series was Dan Waters, who improved his record to 4-3 after throwing 7 1/3 innings and allowing just five hits and striking out eight Hawks. Gerard Breslin came in for relief and picked up his fifth save of the season.

 

La Salle (12-16, 4-6 A-10) got on the board right away with three first inning runs. Malloy led of the game with a double and scored on Rich Prall's single through the middle. One batter later, Rickards launched his team-leading third home run of the season over the right-center field fence.

 

The Explorers increased their lead to 5-1 in the top of the fourth inning thanks to an RBI double from Malloy - scoring Matt Burns - which was followed by an RBI single by Justin Handler.

 

Saint Joseph's (5-24, 2-8 A-10) cut its deficit to 5-3 after Matt Godusky hit a solo home run in the bottom of the frame and David Valesente knocked in another run in the fifth - a single score Kenny Pustizzi.

 

Hawk starter Adam Rivera (1-4) benefited from a double play in the fifth inning - his last - and was relieved by Don Werner, who went two innings and allowed one unearned run; and Mark Imbo pitched the final two frames for the Hawks.

 

Billy Kern, who was one of five Explorers to have at least two hits, plated Rickards in the seventh with a sacrifice fly to push La Salle's lead back to three at 6-3. Prall and Handler also had two hits as La Salle pounded out 14 hits - the most since Feb. 18 - and the third straight game they have had at least 11.

 

In the bottom of the eighth, pinch-hitter Mike Blahusch led off with a walk then scored a batter later on Valesente's RBI double. Waters struck out the next batter, before La Salle went to Breslin. He got the second out of the inning before Mike Gentile hit an RBI single. Breslin would retire the next four batters in order to close out the game.