Feb. 22, 2008

Box Score

ELON, NC - The La Salle University Baseball team started its season with the first of four games at Elon University, and dropped the opener, 17-2, to the host Phoenix at Latham Park, Friday afternoon.

After two scoreless innings, the Explorers fell behind 3-0 after the bottom of the third inning. However, they rallied for one in the top of the fourth as John Rickards led off the frame with a triple and scored on TJ Chism's sacrifice fly to center.

Elon (1-0) then broke the game open with nine runs combined in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 12-1 lead.

It was again Rickards who scored for the Explorers in the top of the sixth after getting on board via a hit-by-pitch. The senior, who finished 12th in the nation last year in the category, moved to third on an error, and scored on RJ Hollinshead's RBI single up the middle.

Rickards triple was the 12th of his career, which ties him with Barry Petranchenko (1985-88) for fourth all-time in that category. Hollinshead was the only Explorer with a pair of hits, his first career two-hit game. Brian Meagher registered the only other hit by La Salle - a single in the third.

Drew Gerhart (0-1) started the game for the Explorers before giving way to a pair of freshmen, who saw their first collegiate action - Sean Kennedy and Caolan Ronan.

Steven Hensley (1-0) went six innings for the Phoenix, picking up the win. Highlighting the Elon offense was Pat Irvine (3-for-3, six RBI) and Mike Lobacz (2-for-5, four RBI).

La Salle (0-1) will play a doubleheader on Saturday versus the Phoenix starting at 12 PM, before another single game on Sunday, with a 1 PM start.