Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – Dayton scored three runs in the eighth inning, including an unearned run to take the lead, to come from behind and beat La Salle, 3-2, on Thursday afternoon at Hank DeVincent Field. Senior Brendan Norton singled and homered while classmate Adam Kammler had a pair of singles.

Senior Eric Van Wyk was nearly unhittable for seven innings in his final collegiate start, scattering four hits and allowing just one runner past third base. He ended up suffering the loss as all three runs were credited to him in the eighth, with only two being earned.

He finishes an outstanding career on many on many of La Salle's all-time lists, including third in innings (285), fifth in wins (13), fifth in strikeouts (203), sixth in starts (38) and eighth in ERA (4.38).  His 94.2 innings this season rank fourth on the single-season list and his 63 strikeouts are tenth.

The southpaw deserved a better fate in his final start. He did not allow a base runner until the fourth and held a 2-0 lead going into the eighth, with no runs and four hits to his ledger.

He ran into trouble after a one-out single and consecutive walks that loaded the bases in the eighth. Junior closer Pat Christensen came into the tough spot and got a fielder's choice that plated a run to make it 2-1. An RBI single by C.J. Gillman, among the nation's leaders with 61, tied the game.

With runners on first and third and one out, Gillman stole second but the throw back to the pitcher was errant allowing Brian Blasik to cross the plate with the go-ahead run.

La Salle (20-31, 7-15 A-10) went down in order in the eighth but tried to put something together in the ninth. Kammler led off with a single and was replaced with pinch runner Derek Prucnal. He moved to second on sophomore George Smith, Jr.'s sacrifice bunt to put the tying run 180 feet away.

Senior Tony Negrin singled to put runners on the corners with one out but Dayton closer Burney Mitchem nailed down his fifth save of the season with consecutive strikeouts to end the game.

Flyers starter Mike Hauschild (7-2) recorded the win by throwing eight innings and allowing two earned runs. He struck out four.

Norton's home run in the third, his third of the season, gave the Explorers a 1-0 lead. Norton was also involved in the team's only other run when he led off the sixth with a single and scored on a two-out, RBI single by senior Marc Schoch.

Zach Stewart had two hits for the Flyers (26-28, 15-7 A-10), who moved within two wins of tying for the league's regular season championship.

The series resumes on Friday at 3 PM.