March 11, 2010

Box Score

LEXINGTON, VA - After spotting the VMI Keydets a 10-run lead, La Salle Baseball rallied to cut its deficit to three, however the hosts' advantage was just too insurmountable and the Keydets took the first of the four-game series at Gray-Minor Stadium, 12-8, Thursday evening.

Highlighting the La Salle attack was Marc Schoch, Brian Meagher and Brendan Norton, while five Explorers total had at least two hits. 

Leading them was Schoch, who went 3-for-5 and hit a two-RBI double sparking a five-run fourth inning. That was followed two batters later by a Meagher three-run home run, which pulled the Explorers to within 10-5.

In all, Meagher scored three times, twice on Norton RBI singles in the sixth, which made it 10-6, and in the eighth, again cutting the deficit to four at 11-7.

Norton, who had two hits, would later score in the frame to whittle the lead down to 11-8.

VMI (11-1), who was led by Jordan Ballard, tacked on one more in the bottom of the eighth. Ballard hit a pair of home runs and drove in five, while Graham Sullivan went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Also registering a multi-hit game for La Salle was Joe Bennie, who was 3-for-5, and Tony Negrin and Jeff Flax, who each had a pair of hits.

La Salle (1-8) outhit the Keydets, 15-12, but VMI drew seven walks to the Explorers one.

Travis Thomas is now 1-0 after earning the win, while Christian Schulz suffered his first loss of 2010. For La Salle, Jerry Dougherty threw a career-high five innings, struck out four and allowed just two earned runs during his time on the mound.

The two teams will play another nine on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 3 PM.