Box Score

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Junior shorststop Joe Bennie showed off his power stroke with a two-run home run in the second inning then followed it up later with the game-winning RBI in the 11th to help La Salle clinch a rubber match against North Carolina A&T 8-6 on Sunday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium. 

Bennie went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored in the game to help the Explorers (5-4) get back over the .500 mark. His two-run blast in the second was his third home run of the season and second in the series. 

George Smith Jr. also continued his tear at the plate with three more hits.  The sophomore leads La Salle with a .438 batting average (14-for-32) through nine games. The bottom third of the Explorer lineup (Jon Gyles, Bennie, Smith Jr.) went 6-for-13 with four RBI and three runs scored in the game. 

On the hill, the bullpen got the job done for La Salle with six scoreless frames to close the game.  

Lefty transfer Ryan Donahue had the longest outing and bridged the gap to closer Pat Christensen in extra innings. Donahue went 4.1 innings and allowed one run off two hits with five strikeouts. 

Christensen held the Aggies (5-7) scoreless in the 10th before Bennie's heroics in the 11th inning gave La Salle the lead.  

The closer then struck out two batters in the home half of the frame and allowed just a two-out single, the only blemish on his line, before slamming the door. Christensen appeared in two games during the series and went four scoreless frames with seven punchouts (1-0, 1 SV). 

La Salle will continue their spring-break road trip with their second stop, a two-game series at Radford that will begin on Tuesday at 4 p.m.