May 9, 2011
PHILADELPHIA, PA - Kevin Fuqua became the second La Salle pitcher to be awarded Big 5 honors on Monday, joining fellow starter Eric Van Wyk after his dominating complete-game victory over Marist in game two of a doubleheader on Saturday.
Fuqua pitched seven strong innings and did not allow an earned run with no walks, four strikeouts and only three hits allowed in La Salle's 4-1 win over Marist in game two of the twin bill.
That was the good news for the Explorers.
The bad news lies ahead in the next six days, when La Salle will play a brutal five-game stretch against some of the toughest competition in the region, and in the conference.
The week will begin on Tuesday, when La Salle starts its two-game mid-week slate with a matchup against city-rival St. Joseph's. The game will not count in the A-10 standings as RHP Shane Petrellis (3-3, 5.28) will get the start for La Salle on the mound.
Tuesday's game against the Hawks will also be streamed live via audio on GoExplorers.com. Click here to listen live as first pitch from Campbell's Field in Camden, NJ is set for 7 p.m.
Following Tuesday's match up against SJU, La Salle will hit the road again for a Wednesday tilt against Rider. First pitch between the Broncs and Explorers on Wednesday is set for 3 p.m. with RHP Zach Huff (2-0, 6.55) starting on the hill for La Salle.
Live stats will be available for both the SJU and Rider games.
After an off day Thursday, the Explorers will return to A-10 play for the first time in two weekends on Friday when Charlotte visits Hank DeVincent Field for a crucial three-game set. The series will begin with a 3 p.m. first pitch on Friday and conclude on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon. The teams cannot play on Sunday due to La Salle's graduation ceremonies.
The 49ers are the only team in the A-10 to be ranked in the top-25 and are tied wtih Rhode Island for the top seed in the conference standings with a 15-6 A-10 record.
The Explorers (25-18, 11-7) are 2.5 games back of both the Rams and 49ers with six games remaining in A-10 play. Currently, La Salle is tied for third with Dayton in the standings. The top six teams will make the A-10 Championship held on the last weekend of May at Campbell's Field in Camden.
Pitching match ups and more information for the Charlotte series will be released later in the week.
