May 26, 2010
Box Score vs. Rhode Island
Box Score vs. Fordham
CAMDEN, NJ - Streaks are meant to end, while records are made to be broken. So was the case when La Salle Baseball took the field in its first Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship game of 2010 at Campbell's Field Wednesday afternoon against Rhode Island.
The Rams' starter Tim Boyce had entered the game with a streak of 34 straight scoreless innings pitched, while La Salle's John Malloy was one hit shy of tying the school's all-time career hits record. And on one swing of the bat in the first inning, the streak almost ended, while the record was tied.
With one out and a runner on first, Malloy found the right-centerfield gap for his 58th career double and his 272nd career hit, tying Barry Petrachenko (1985-88) for the school's all-time hit record. Tony Negrin did not score from first, and Boyce would strand a pair of runners in the frame to keep his streak alive, at least for two more frames.
Rhode Island (30-24) used a solo home run by Evan Laude in the second and an RBI single by Zoey Angulo in the third to give Boyce a 2-0 lead, which would have been plenty in his last three complete game shutouts.
However, the Explorers, who had posted 11 come-back wins coming into the day, cut their lead in half as Jeff Flax hit a two-out double in the fourth and scored on a single back through the middle, his second hit of the game, and ended the Boyce streak at 37 straight innings of scoreless pitching.
The Rams would respond with a single run in the bottom of the frame, but La Salle again made it a one-run contest with a run in the top of the sixth. Malloy singled to center for the record-breaking hit, then scored on a Brendan Norton RBI grounder to make it 3-2.
Explorer starter Eric Van Wyk (7-2) was hurt in the bottom of the inning by a lead-off error and three batters later, Mike LeBel hit a grand slam home run to provide the final runs of the contest. Boyce improved to 6-3 with the victory, going seven frames, while Rob Curran pitched a perfect two innings in relief and helped the Rams move on to face Xavier in Thursday's second game.
Kevin Fuqua came in from the pen for La Salle, ending Van Wyk's day after 5,2 innings, and Fuqua ffinished the game with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.
La Salle (22-31) had little time for rest, as a quick turnaround and dugout switch had them facing Fordham in an elimination game just 40 minutes after the end of the Rhode Island contest.
Against these Rams, the Explorers were able to plate the first run, as Brian Meagher scored on a Norton single to give La Salle its first lead of the day. Meagher would also break a 1-1 tie in the third as Jon Gyles singled him home in the third frame.
Fordham (21-35), who was the visiting team in the contest and lost to Saint Louis, 16-11, in the first game of the tournament, had its offense come to life in the fourth, plating three runs on back-to-back singles and a grounder to take a 4-2 lead in the fourth.
The Explorers answered right back in the bottom of the frame with a six spot, as they sent 11 men to the plate. Flax started the frame with a hit-by-pitch, moved to second on a grounder and scored on Eric Kammler's RBI double. Adam Kammler kept the inning going with an infield single and Dan Klem laced a triple down the right-field line to plate the brothers. Meagher brought home Klem with a bunt, while Gyles plated Malloy and Flax brought in Gyles.
La Salle starter lasted four innings, and then pitched two scoreless frames before running into trouble in the seventh. With two out and runners on the corners, a walk loaded the bases and brought in . He allowed a two-RBI single, but ended the threat and pitched a scoreless eighth.
Leading 8-6, La Salle answered the Rams pair with two of its own, as Umstead scored on a throwing error by the pitcher and Eric coming in on Klem's third run batted in of the game on a sacrifice fly.
Christensen earned his 11th save of the season as he threw the last 2.1 innings, while Petrellis picked up his second win of the year.
The Explorers are now slated to play in the 7 PM game on Thursday night against an opponent to be determined - which will be the lower seed of the two teams that lose in the first two games on Thursday.
