April 10, 2010
Box Score
CINCINNATI, OH - Trailing 3-0 entering the seventh frame, La Salle Baseball mounted a come-back, scoring nine unanswered runs including six in the ninth inning, and then held on to claim a 9-8 victory over Xavier in Atlantic 10 Conference action at Hayden Field Saturday afternoon.
The top of the Explorer line-up again led the Explorers, as John Malloy, Brian Meagher, and Brendan Norton combined for six hits, six runs scored, and six RBI - all two apiece.
However, it was pinch hitter Eric Kammler who sparked the two-out ninth-inning six-run rally that gave La Salle its first lead of the day, and the Explorers needed every one of those runs.
Xavier reliever Seth Willoughby (1-1) took care of the first two men he faced in the ninth, but Kammler hit a single back through the middle which was followed by Chris Umstead being hit by a pitch.
Joe Bennie followed with an RBI single through the right side as pinch runner Mike Canfarotta came home to score the go-ahead run. Malloy followed with a two-RBI double to right.
Meagher then doubled down the left-field line plating Malloy and Norton reached on an error. Jon Gyles singled home Meagher and Norton would later score the sixth run of the frame on a passed ball.
Xavier (7-24, 3-5 A-10) responded in its half of the ninth, getting its first four batters to reach base, which scored one run. Kevin Fuqua, in his second inning of relief, then retired two straight which allowed two more to score, but Neil Lindgren then hit his second two-run home run of the afternoon to make it a one-run game.
Fuqua (1-2) got the final out on a pop up to win his first game of 2010, the 10th of his La Salle career. He followed Christian Schulz, who threw one scoreless inning with two strikeouts, his first outing in almost a month.
Kevin Christy started the contest for La Salle and despite giving up three earned runs, made just two costly mistakes. He scattered seven hits and walked one while striking out seven. He surrendered a two-out, two-run homer to Lindgren in the second and, also with two out, allowed a run on a balk in the third.
Musketeer starter Tommy Shirley cruised through six innings, allowing three hits and a walk before Norton broke through with a home run to left center to lead off the seventh.
In the eighth, again with two out, La Salle scored a pair of runs to tie the game at 3-3. Malloy reached on an error, Meagher hit his first double of the day to score Malloy and Norton also doubled to plate Meagher, which brought in Willoughby.
The streaks continue for Malloy - 48 straight games reaching base, 24-game A-10 only hitting streak, and now another 10-game hitting streak, the fifth of his career. At La Salle, he is now eighth all-time in runs scored (127), fifth in hits (241), tied for second in doubles (51), and sixth in total bases (352).
Norton extended his hitting streak to 16 straight while he registered his fourth straight multi-hit game and 12th during the streak. He has raised his batting average 100 points (.350 to .450) with 32 hits in the span.
Meanwhile, Meagher, with his two doubles Saturday, now has 37 for his career, 8th all-time at La Salle and just one shy of a tie for sixth. In A-10 games only, he leads the Explorers with a .455 batting average, 10 runs, 15 hits, five doubles, 10 RBI, 24 total bases, and a .727 slugging percentage.
La Salle (11-17, 6-2 A-10) will look to sweep its second A-10 series of the year when the Explorers conclude their set with Xavier on Sunday at 12 PM.
