AMHERST, Mass. - La Salle senior Eric Van Wyk threw another well pitched game, allowing two earned runs over seven innings while walking none, but Massachusetts scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to win, 2-1, at Earl Lorden Field on Thursday. Seniors Tony Negrin and Jeff Flax and junior Dan Klem all had two hits for the Explorers, who stranded 13 runners in the loss.

Van Wyk scattered nine hits and struck out five but fell to 3-3 on the season. The southpaw worked out of a jam in the second and fourth and came out to the mound in the eighth with the game tied up at 1-1. A lead-off double by Tom Conley chased Van Wyk for senior reliever Caolan Ronan.

Adam Picard singled to plate Conley and Ronan did not allow any more damage as the Explorers (15-14, 3-4 A-10) headed into their final at-bat trailing 2-1.

With one out in the ninth, Negrin singled and moved into scoring position at second on an error. After a pop-up, senior Adam Kammler was hit by a pitch but the visitors were unable to plate the tying run.

UMass (7-10, 3-1 A-10) had taken a 1-0 lead in the fifth on an RBI single by Conley and held that slim advantage until the eighth.

With two outs, senior March Schoch singled and was replaced by pinch runner Kevin Baron. A single by junior Joe Bennie and a walk to senior Jon Gyles loaded the bases for Klem, who plated Baron with an infield single.

UMass reliever Lief Sorenson (1-2) came into the game and induced an inning ending ground-ball to end the threat. He earned the win with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief of starter Dennis Torres, who allowed one earned run in 7.2 innings. 

Dylan Begin had three hits, while Conley had a pair for the Minutemen. 

The series resumes on Friday at 3 PM.