April 1, 2010
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - La Salle Baseball, led by seniors John Malloy and Brian Meagher, who each had three hits and drove in two runs each, won its fourth straight Atlantic 10 Conference game defeating visiting Duquesne, 11-6, Thursday afternoon at Hank DeVincent Field.
With the win, the Explorers tied the best start ever in A-10 action, matching the start of the 2003 squad that also opened league play 4-0.
Also helping La Salle to its first four-game winning streak in A-10 play, which was also the last time the Explorers won four in a row at home (April 19-26, 2008), was Dan Klem, two hits, two RBI, and Brendan Norton, two hits, two runs scored.
For Norton, it was his eighth straight game scoring a run and his seventh straight multi-hit contest. He extended his hitting streak to 10 games, batting .500 (20-for-40) in the stretch, raising his average 84 points and La Salle is 7-3 in the span.
Malloy extended his conference-only hitting streak to 20 straight games while his reaching base streak increases to 42 in a row. He registered his third three-hit game of the year, while moving up La Salle's all-time list in two categories, at-bats (704, second) and total bases (337, sixth).
Duquesne (4-20, 0-4 A-10) opened the scoring in the top of the second on a one-out three-run home run off the bat Anthony DeFabio, plating Mark Tracy and Derek Lefever.
Facing their largest deficit in A-10 play, the Explorers responded with nine runs in the bottom of the frame to take command of the contest. After the first batter of the inning was retired, eight straight reached base.
Eric Kammler and Klem hit back-to-back singles and Tony Negrin loaded the bases with a walk. Malloy then singled home a pair, and Meagher followed with a two-RBI triple putting La Salle up 4-3.
Meagher scored on a wild pitch and then Norton singled followed by a Jon Gyles hit by pitch and a Jeff Flax RBI double. Marc Schoch brought home another and Klem hit a two-RBI single to put the Explorers up six runs.
La Salle starter Eric Van Wyk settled in with the run support and threw three scoreless innings before allowing a two-run home run to Chris Happ in the sixth. Christy improved to 2-0 with his six innings of work, allowed five runs and struck out five.
Pat Christensen worked the final three frames to earn his fourth save of the year, which tied him for the eighth-most in a single season at the school. He allowed three hits, one run and struck out two.
The Explorers have now one four in a row in the A-10 for only the fourth time since 2000, also notching four straight wins in 2001.
La Salle (8-14, 4-0 A-10) will go for five in a row overall, in A-10 play, and at home when the Explorers continue their three-game set with the Dukes on Friday at 3 PM.
