April 20, 2010
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - Erica Vile went 5-for-8 with two doubles and a home run and every Explorer who played registered at least one hit as La Salle beat Marist twice on Tuesday at West Campus Field. The Explorers took the first game 11-6 before a 10-4 win in the nightcap.
La Salle (13-21) had four different players blast home runs, including Vile, Shannon Skomorucha (2-for-2, 1 HR, 3 RBI), Ali Shepherd (3-for-8, 3 runs, 1 RBI), and Liz Reed (2-for-6, 1 HR, 1 RBI). Marist (4-27) also hit the long ball as three different Red Foxes hit home runs. Nicole DiVirgilio led the visitors with a 4-for-6 day with a three-run blast.
Gina Massaro went 3-for-6 and scored four runs and Laura Gallagher lit up at the plate with a 3-for-7 day with three RBI.
Offense came quick and came early as the teams combined for nine runs in the first inning of game one. Marist struck for four, including one on a sacrifice fly by Christina Lausch and three on the day's first home run by Danielle Koltz.
The Explorers answered right back with five runs in the bottom of the first. Massaro led off by drawing a walk and Shepherd followed up with a single to put runners at first and second. Mary Pat Conville then batted in Massaro for the first run on a single to left center. Conville crossed the plate two batters later on Vile's first double of the day before Skomorucha blasted her home run to bring in three more runs.
Following a scoreless second, Marist regained the lead in the third on a Lausch two-run home run, scoring DiVirgilio who reached on a double.
The Explorers tied it up in the bottom of the frame when Gallagher singled in Angelina Bisbiglia, who reached earlier on a single to left.
The teams put up two and a half scoreless innings before the Explorers exploded for five more in the sixth while batting around the order. Massaro led off the inning with a bunt single and advanced to second on the play due to a Marist miscue. She came around to score on a Conville single to left field.
One out later, Vile belted her second double of the day to put runners on second and third with two outs. Skomorucha was intentionally walked to load the bases before Heather Brabazon ripped a two-run double of her own to score Conville and Vile and put the score at 9-6. Gallagher kept the rally going with a single to right field that scored Skomorucha and Brabazon to move the Explorer score to 11-6.
The Red Foxes managed two baserunners in the top of the seventh, but pitcher DJ Guinn ended the threat with a strikeout.
Guinn pitched a gem, holding the Red Foxes scoreless once she came in to the game in relief of Kristen Paoletti, who worked the first 2.1 innings. Guinn struck out seven and walked two. Emily Osterhaus pitched a complete game for Marist, giving up 11 runs (all earned) on 14 hits. She struck out seven and walked three.
Marist struck first again in game two, scoring an unearned run on a Kate Malloy double to right center.
Once again, the Explorers had an answer by scoring two runs in the bottom of the first, and never relinquished the lead after that. Massaro and Shepherd led off the Explorer first with back-to-back singles and eventually scored. Massaro motored home on a Bisbiglia RBI groundout to the pitcher and Vile singled down the right field line to score Shepherd and put the score at 2-1.
That score held up until the bottom of the fifth when the home squad opened up the game with three runs. Reed led off the inning with a solo blast over the left center field fence and one out later, Shepherd blasted a homer of her own to right center. Bisbiglia hit a two-out double and advanced to third on a Vile single before being batted in by Tristan Musho, who singled to short right.
The Red Foxes had an answer this time, matching the three-run output in the top of the sixth on a DiVirgilio home run. However, as the case had been all day, the Explorers responded with five runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game out of reach.
With one out, Reed and Massaro drew back-to-back walks. Shepherd then reached on a fielder's choice, with Reed out on the play, but runners were still at first and second. Conville followed up with a RBI single to score Massaro, and two more runs scored when Bisbiglia reached on an error. Vile then blasted a two-run home run to put the score at 10-4, the eventual final.
Guinn started game two, working three full innings and limiting the Red Foxes to one unearned run on one hit. She also struck out one and walked none. Massaro was the pitcher of record, going the final four innings and giving up three runs on five hits, striking out seven and also walking none. Alanna Woody suffered the loss for the Red Foxes, working five innings and giving up five runs on 10 hits, striking out two and walking one. Caitlin Schell pitched one inning of relief, giving up five runs (one earned) on two hits and walking two.
The Explorers have a quick turnaround as they head to Lewisburg on Wednesday for a 3:00 PM non-conference doubleheader at Bucknell.
