CHARLESTON, S.C. – The La Salle baseball team split a doubleheader on Saturday, handling Charleston Southern 13-11 after falling to the No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers 8-3 earlier in the day.
GAME TWOThe Buccaneers scored six runs in the 8
th inning before
Adam Cherry (S, 2) recorded the final four outs to help the Explorers hold on for the win.
The Explorers knocked 18 hits on the afternoon, scoring early and often in the process. La Salle tallied eight runs over the first four innings while
Joey Ravert (W, 2-0) kept the Buccaneers off the board until two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Michael Flax RBI double in the 1
st got the offense rolling before the Explorers made it 4-0 in the 2
nd.
Justin Korenblatt smacked an RBI single before
Cameron Johnson added a two-run single to center.
Korenblatt plated two more with a single in the 4
th before a
Mark Williams sac fly and a
Ryan Welling RBI single made it 8-0. CSU tallied two unearned runs in the 4
th to make it 8-2.
Billy Worswick was tagged for seven earned runs in relief of Ravert, surrendering three runs in the 6
th before the Explorers padded their lead with four runs in the 7
th and another in the 8
th.
Worswick recorded the first two outs in the 8
th prior to four straight runners reaching and righty
Tom Fazzini taking over. Fazzini gave up a three-run homer and an RBI double before Cherry was called upon for the last four outs.
Korenblatt and Johnson both finished with four hits and four RBI's.
GAME ONEThe Explorers got out to a 1-0 lead on a
Cameron Johnson RBI single to score
Michael Flax in the top of the 1
st.
The Cavaliers tied the game in the bottom of the 1
st with a solo homer from Ernie Clement and took a 3-1 lead in the 2
nd on a two-run double from Adam Haseley.
Johnson made it a one-run game in the 3
rd with another RBI single before Virginia scored a run in the 3
rd and another in the 5
th to get in front 5-2.
Mark Williams poked a solo shot to left center to make it a two-run game before the Cavaliers added three runs over their final two at-bats to put the game out of reach for the Explorers.
Freddy Andujar (L, 0-1) took the loss for the Explorers, surrendering four earned runs over 3.2 innings. Connor Jones (W, 2-0) earned the win for Virginia allowing two unearned runs over five innings while striking out six. Kevin Doherty earned his first save of the season with two scoreless innings to close the game.
The Explorers will look to clinch the series tomorrow afternoon with final game against Charleston Southern at 1 p.m. at CSU Ballpark.
