April 29, 2007

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle University Baseball team had its chances to take the series finale against St. Bonaventure, but the Explorers stranded 11 runners and the Bonnies plated seven runs in the last three innings to sweep the Atlantic 10 series at Hank DeVincent Field, winning Sunday 10-3.

 

Saint Bonaventure (18-19, 9-8 A-10), who jumped out early in both of its wins Saturday, took a 2-0 lead just five batters into the game with a one-out, two-RBI single by Kieran Malone, which also set up a first and third. However, as they would do three more times in the game, they grounded into a double play, which ended the inning.

 

The Explorers got a run back in the bottom of the second after Brian Meagher hit a two-out double to left center field and scored on John Malloy's single to right. With the single, Malloy, who had a school-record 24-game hitting streak earlier in the season, extended his current streak to 13 games.

 

In the third, each team scored a run, as the Bonnies' BJ Salerno hit an RBI single to plate Josh Perkins and Meagher drove in John Vincent with a sacrifice fly to left.

 

Trailing 3-2, La Salle looked to be in business in the bottom of the fifth when, with one out, Rich Prall, who was 4-for-5 on the day, lined a double into right center and John Rickards took third on the play.

 

However, St. Bonaventure appealed that Rickards did not touch second base and he was called out. The next batter, Davis Hewett flew out to right field to end the frame.

 

Kevin Suminski hit a two-run home run to right field in the seventh to push the Bonnies lead to 5-2, but Rickards launched another shot over the newly installed 25-foot fence to make it just a two-run deficit. He also homered to left-center field on Saturday.

 

Five more St. Bonaventure runs later, including another Suminski home run - this time a three-run shot to right - and the Bonnies three-game sweep of the Explorers was done.

 

This is the second time La Salle has been swept in a three-game A-10 home series this season - losing its first weekend series to Duquesne at Hank DeVincent Field. The 2004 squad was the last team to be swept twice at home by A-10 opponents - losing to Rhode Island and George Washington.

 

La Salle (14-24, 6-12 A-10) is now off this week, but will return to action when they open up their final A-10 three-game home series facing Dayton, starting Friday at 4 PM.