March 19, 2010
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - John Malloy, with four hits, led a La Salle Baseball attack that pounded out a season-high 16 hits. However the Explorers left 10 runners on base in their home opener at Hank DeVincent Field Friday afternoon and lost to the visiting Youngstown State Penguins, 7-5.
Malloy homered in the second, the 16th of his career and tied the game at 2-2, and then had three straight singles to register his fifth career four-hit game. His career-high was a 5-for-5 day at Saint Joseph's on April 13, 2007.
La Salle had at least one hit in every inning except the ninth, which started in the first with a Tony Negrin double, followed by a Brendan Norton single. The pair then executed a double steal to plate the first run.
Youngstown State (7-6) took a 2-1 lead on Jacke Healey's two-run home run, his seventh of 2010. He ended the day 2-for-5 with a team-best three RBI and two runs scored.
The Penguins broke the 2-2 tie in the sixth as they started the frame with four straight hits, started by back-to-back doubles by Armani Johnson and Healey. Anthony Porter plated a run with an RBI single then came home on Eric Marzec's home run.
The Explorers starter Kevin Christy allowed five hits, two runs, no walks and struck out five before the inning, but was saddled with the loss. Eric Van Wyk came in for relief, threw three innings, allowed one run in the eighth and struck out four.
Trailing 7-2, La Salle mounted a comeback ignited by a one-out single by Kevin Jones, who was one of six Explorers with at least two on the day. Marc Schoch singled and moved to third as Jones scored on an RBI double by Brian Meagher.
With two outs, and Malloy at the plate, Schoch scored on a wild pitch and Meagher came home on Malloy's single.
That sent the Penguins to their pen, pulling starter Aaron Swenson, who went 7.2 innings, surrendered 15 hits, but just three extra base hits, and walked just one batter. Alex Frey was greeted with a single by Chris Umstead but got out of the jam with a grounder.
Swenson improved to 3-0 with the win and Marzec picked up his third save of the season as he tossed a perfect ninth, the only inning La Salle did not have a man reach base.
The last time the Explorers registered at least 16 hits was on April 5, 2009, when they had 17 and posted 12 runs in a loss to Xavier.
La Salle (2-12) will continue its home stand on Saturday with a 1 PM game against the visiting Pittsburgh Panthers.
