March 15, 2009
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA – Facing one of the top offensive teams in the nation in Manhattan College, La Salle University Baseball shut out its second opponent this season behind a strong pitching performance from Kevin Fuqua. The Explorers beat the Jaspers, 2-0, on Sunday in non-conference action at Hank DeVincent Field.
Manhattan came into the game with a team batting average of .361 – averaging more than 13 hits per game and 10.6 runs a contest. This weekend, they had already put up 28 runs on the board against Temple and Saint Joseph’s.
Fuqua limited the Jaspers to just four hits over 7.2 scoreless innings, but walked three and hit one batter. He also struck out three as he improved to 2-1 this season.
Offensively for the Explorers, Justin Handler went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while John Malloy also had a pair of hits, his eighth multi-hit game of the season. TJ Chism drove in both of the Explorers runs – giving him a team-high 17 this spring.
The Explorers put their first run on the board in the third inning with a two-out rally with three straight singles. Handler singled up the middle, which was followed by a bunt single by Malloy. Chism then singled into left field to score Handler and give La Salle a 1-0 lead.
The same three combined for the second run as well, with Handler leading off the fifth inning with another single up the middle. Malloy then doubled into left center and Chism scored Handler with a sac fly to center.
Meanwhile, Fuqua was cruising on the mound. After allowing a two-out single in the first, he retired 11 straight until he ran into a little trouble in the top of the fifth.
Manhattan (5-6) got back-to-back hits by Ruben Perez and Mike McCann to put runners on the corners with just one out. Fuqua was able to pick off McCann at first, and then got out of the jam with a grounder to second.
After a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth, the Jaspers put their first two batters on in the seventh. Fuqua ended that frame with a fly out to center and La Salle’s first double play of the afternoon. They turned another one in the eighth to erase a Jasper lead-off walk, but a single and a walk ended Fuqua’s day.
Cody Weiss was called in from the pen and walked the first batter he faced, which loaded the bases, but got Mark Onorati to fly out to center to end the threat.
He finished the game with a perfect ninth to earn his second save of the season. Suffering the loss for the Jaspers was Tom Costigan (0-1), who threw a complete game, allowed nine hits, and struck out four.
La Salle (7-6) will take Monday and Tuesday off before returning to action on Wednesday, travelling to Delaware State with first pitch at 2:30 PM.
