March 22, 2009
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - For the third straight game, La Salle Baseball surrendered a late-inning lead - this time Saint Joseph's scored two ninth-inning runs to register a 4-3 victory over the Explorers on Sunday at Hank DeVincent Field in Atlantic 10 action.
And again, it was an unearned run that was the difference - as it was on Friday - as the Hawks took advantage of La Salle's only error on the day to score the game-winner.
With the bases loaded and one out and La Salle clinging to a 3-2 lead, Ryan McDonald hit a slow roller to first, and trying to turn two on the play, the throw back to first was high allowing Mike Coleman to score the go-ahead run and the Hawks held on in the ninth for the win.
TJ Chism gave the Explorers an early two-run lead with a home run to right center field in the first. Jeff Flax hit a lead-off single back through the middle, and after two outs, Chism launched his sixth round tripper of the season, 10th of his career.
Saint Joseph's (7-10-1, 3-0 A-10) knotted the game at 2-all in the top of the third thanks to back-to-back walks by Phil Pursino and Coleman which led off the frame. After a sacrifice bunt moved the pair into scoring position, an RBI grounder by McDonald and an RBI double by David Valesente tied the contest.
Chris Umstead broke up the tie in the seventh inning blasting a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for his first career home run - a solo shot.
Chism threw six innings, allowed just the two earned runs on three hits, walked three, and struck out a career-high eight batters. Christian Schulz pitched a scoreless seventh and sat down the first two in the eighth.
However, a walk and a hit batter later, and the Explorers went to another relief pitcher Cody Weiss. After a wild pitched moved those runners into scoring position, he struck out Mike Blahusch to end the threat.
However, as had been the case all weekend, it came down to the ninth inning, and Weiss walked the Hawks sixth batter of the game (three of them scored) and after striking out Pursino, hit Coleman with a pitch (the Hawks third hit batter of the afternoon).
Eric Van Wyk came in for relief and walked his first batter to load the bases before getting the grounder he needed, but La Salle could not turn the double play. He ended the frame with a pop to second.
The Hawks' Randy Mower evened his record to 2-2 after throwing 8.1 innings and allowing 10 hits, however he did not walk a batter. Ben Wendle got the final two outs of the game to earn his first save of the season.
La Salle outhit Saint Joseph's 10-4 and had at least one base runner in every inning except the second. But one was picked off at second and another was caught stealing. Weiss suffered the loss and is 1-3 this season.
La Salle (8-9, 0-3 A-10) will play a pair of non-conference games this week - at Saint Peter's Tuesday at 3:30 PM and home versus Delaware State at 3 PM. They take on Temple in Ambler for their next an A-10 weekend series starting Friday at 3 PM.
