April 12, 2008
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
PITTSBURGH, PA - The La Salle University Baseball team used a four-run seventh inning to take an 8-4 lead and held on for the 8-5 come-from-behind win in the first of two games versus Duquesne on Saturday. However, the Dukes responded with a 3-0 victory in the nightcap to win the Atlantic 10 weekend series.
Due to inclement weather scheduled to hit the Pittsburgh area on Sunday, it was decided that the teams would play a doubleheader on Saturday.
John Malloy scored to give La Salle a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1, then in the third, was singled home by Justin Handler to knot the game at 2-all.
Again, the Dukes put two runs on the board in the third inning, but the Explorers battled back with single runs in the fourth - Mike Dertouzos scored on a wild pitch; and the sixth - a Dertouzos single scored John Rickards; to tie the game at 4-all.
In the seventh, La Salle sent 10 men to the plate and scored four runs to take an 8-4 advantage. Mike Canfarotta led off the frame with a single, Rick Gehman walk, and Malloy sacrificed them each up a base.
Handler was hit by a pitch to load the bases and the next four batters all drove in a run: Rickards on a single; Chris Crawford with a fielder's choice; Dertouzos with a single; and Kevin Jones drew a bases loaded walk.
Drew Gerhart, who started his 24th career game and is now tied for ninth on the school's all-time list in the category, won his first game of the year and is now 1-4. He threw seven innings, allowed 10 hits, four earned runs, and struck out three.
Shane Frangiosa pitched the last two innings, striking out one, and allowing one hit - a solo home run in the ninth. The two pitchers combined for just three walks - none scored - but did allow three solo home runs.
Paul Bugajski threw six innings for the Dukes, striking out four and allowing four runs, but gave way to Grant Gillispie in the seventh. He took the loss and fell to 2-2, after allowing the four runs in the seventh, but did finish the game.
In Game 2, both starting pitchers held the opposition scoreless for five innings and each threw a total of seven.
La Salle's Kevin Fuqua allowed three hits through the first five, then ran into trouble in the sixth, after getting the first two outs of the inning. A walk and back-to-back singles scored the first run and a passed ball allowed a second to cross the plate.
Duquesne (15-15, 10-2 A-10) added another unearned run in the seventh to push its lead to 3-0, as Jeremy Gerger was holding La Salle to just four hits and also struck out six.
He won his first game of the season and is now 1-0, despite La Salle's late inning threats. Matt Zarin got the first two outs of the eighth, but an error, a walk and a hit batsman loaded the bases.
Danny Brown came in from the pen to get a K to end the frame, but the Explorers were able to load the bases again in the ninth, before another strike out by Brown ended the contest. He earned his fourth save of the season with the effort.
La Salle (6-27, 2-10 A-10) had just five hits in Game 2, as Dertouzos was the only one with a pair. Handler singled in the first to extend his hitting streak to a career-long nine games.
Other notable stats for the Explorers included Malloy walking in the eighth, who has reached base in all 29 games he has played in this season, and Rickards moving into 10th place on the all-time career hits list, now with 188.
The Explorers have a busy week, traveling to Villanova (Tuesday 3:15 PM ) and Penn (Wednesday, 3 PM) before hosting Fordham next weekend at Hank DeVincent Field.
