May 21, 2010

Box Score

AMHERST, MA - La Salle Baseball opened the scoring with back-to-back hits to start the game, but could only manage four hits the rest of the way as Massachusetts took the second game of the three-game Atlantic 10 Conference series, 4-1, Friday afternoon at Earl Lorden Field.

Tony Negrin beat out an infield single and scored when Brian Meagher hit a double down the right field line to give La Salle a quick 1-0 advantage.

Massachusetts (18-27, 12-14 A-10) responded with a lead-off home run by Ryan Cusick, the first of his career, to knot the game at one apiece.

Explorer starter Cody Weiss settled in after the home run, before Brian Baudinet and Mike Gedman connected on doubles in the fourth to put the home team up 2-1.

The Minutemen added two more in the fifth on an RBI single by Matt Gedman and a grounder from Mike Donato.

Weiss (3-5) went six innings, allowed seven hits, four runs and struck out four batters. Shane Petrellis worked the last two frames, allowing two hits and striking out one.

Minuteman starter Jared Freni (3-5) allowed just four hits after the first and walked three, but struck out six as he earned the win with a complete-game effort. He retired seven straight to end the day.

Negrin and Baudinet were the only players in the contest to have more than one hits, as Negrin reached the 50-hit plateau, the sixth Explorer to reach the mark this season.

La Salle (21-29, 14-12 A-10) will play its final regular season game on Saturday as the Explorers go for their fifth series win of 2010 and try to secure a spot in the upcoming A-10 Baseball Championship.