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PHILADELPHIA – With the bases loaded and one out, sophomore Mark Williams (1-5) plated the game-winning win to secure an 8-7 victory for the Explorers over Delaware State on Wednesday afternoon at Hank DeVincent  Field. Senior Pat Christensen earned his fifth win on the season while the Hornets' Derek Marshallsea took the loss.

La Salle improves to 15-19 with the non-conference victory while Delaware State slips to 24-11.

The Hornets scored two in the top half of the first and another in the top of third to take an early 3-0 lead. La Salle erased the deficit by hanging a four-spot in the bottom of the third to open a 4-3 lead of their own.

Freshman Collin McGowan (0-3) led off the frame and got aboard on an error by the second baseman and advanced to second on a Dan Klem (2-5) groundout. Sophomore Kevin Baron (0-3) drew a walk before sophomore Kevin Conroy (1-3) stung a double down the right field line to score two. The Blue and Gold proceeded to score two more unearned runs in the inning, capped by a Joey Ravert (1-4) RBI single.

Delaware State tacked on three runs in the fourth but the Explorers tied it right back up with two more runs in the bottom of the frame. Junior George Smith, Jr. (1-4) smacked his second home run of the season to lead off the inning to close the gap to 6-5. Conroy later skied a sacrifice fly to left field to score McGowan, who drew a walk earlier in the inning.

La Salle worked home a run with two outs in the seventh inning, sparked by a Justin Korenblatt (1-3) single. Korenblatt stole second and scored on a Williams RBI single on a 3-2 pitch.

The Hornets tied up the ballgame in the eighth but La Salle was not to be denied, pushing the decisive run across in walk-off style.

Klem led off the inning and reached on an error and was sacrificed to second by Baron. After Klem advanced to third on a wild pitch, both Conroy and Korenblatt were intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Williams stepped up to the dish and rocketed a grounder up the middle which was snared by Delaware State's shortstop, who had time to get the runner at second base, but not Williams.

The Explorers threw six pitchers in the victory, highlighted by a flawless ninth from Christensen, who methodically set down the Hornets 1-2-3 to earn his fifth win of the year.

La Salle will resume its schedule on Friday at 3 p.m. when Massachusetts visits in the first of a three game series.