May 6, 2007

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, the La Salle University Baseball team scored three times, including a key two-RBI pinch-hit single by Matt Burns to lift the Explorers to a 4-3 victory over Dayton, in the final day of the three-game Atlantic 10 series at Hank DeVincent Field, Sunday.

The eighth inning started harmlessly, with John Malloy grounding right back to Dayton starting pitcher Sean Finn. As he slowly made his way to first to flip the ball to the Flyer first baseman Jeff Mercer, Malloy raced towards the bag.

Finn's toss never made it into Mercer's glove and Malloy reached base on the error. That error was followed by a Billy Kern infield single and a four-pitch walk to John Rickards, despite the fact that he was up there clearly trying to move the runners into scoring position.

Rich Prall, who was hitless in his previous 11 at bats, then stepped to the plate and was quickly down 0-2. He battled back to run the count full, fouled off a pitch, then laced an RBI single into right-center field.

One batter later, Matt Burns connected for his team-leading third pinch hit of the season - a single to right field - to score Kern and Rickards and give the Explorers the 4-3 lead.

Phil Ernst came in to relieve Finn and retired the last two batters of the inning and end any more Explorer threat, but the damage had been done.

Because in came La Salle's closer Gerard Breslin, who had not blown a save in 2007, and last did exactly a year ago - May 6, 2006 versus Richmond. He allowed a two-out single to Frank Tedesco, but got the final out to record his ninth save of the season.

Breslin's numbers this season in save opportunities after this appearance are 14 innings pitched in nine games; six hits allowed, but just one extra base hit - a double; 10 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA.

He was able to save the game for Drew Gerhart, who picked up his first win of the season after throwing a career-high eight innings, allowed two earned runs and struck out four.

Gerhart, who was named to the A-10s All-Rookie Team mostly because of what he did near the end of the year and versus A-10 opponents, is now 2-2 in his six career starts in the A-10 with a 3.69 ERA. More intersting is his numbers in May, now 2-1 in four starts with a 1.88 ERA in 24 innings pitched.

He allowed a lead-off single to Michael Massa, but then shut down the Flyer offense for the next six innings, retiring 18 of the next 19 batters - allowing a fourth inning walk.

Finn was equally effective, allowing just four baserunners through five innings - one a two-out triple to Rickards in the first inning.

However, La Salle (16-25, 8-13 A-10) plated an unearned run off him in the sixth to take the lead. Rickards led off with a single and moved to second on a failed pick-off attempt. Prall's grounder to second put him on third and a throwing error on a Davis Hewett grounder scored the run.

Dayton (18-28, 7-14 A-10) responded with three runs in the seventh, as Bobby Getty doubled to lead off the frame. It quickly became first and third, when La Salle went to third on Jeff Mercer's ground ball to second, but the throw was off target.

Joe McSoley tied the game at 1-all with a single to center and two batters later, there was one out and the bases were loaded for Tedesco. He grounded to short, but the Explorers could not turn the double play and the throw to first allowed another run to score and Dayton led 3-1.

In the bottom of the inning, the Flyers turned a double play of their own to end a first and second with one out, but their third error of the day in the eighth inning proved to be the difference.

La Salle will next be in action Wednesday in its final home game of the season when they host Delaware starting at 3 PM.