PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle baseball team swept a doubleheader from the Niagara Purple Eagles at Hank DeVincent Field on Sunday, roaring to a 15-4 win in the opener before winning game two 11-3.
GAME ONEThe Explorers got off to a fast start in the opener, scoring nine runs over the first three innings. La Salle posted four runs in the 1
st inning thanks to a two-run double from
Joey Ravert, an RBI triple from
Ryan Welling and a wild pitch.
After Niagara cut the lead to 4-2 in the 2
nd,
Josh Savakinus made it 5-2 with an RBI double in the bottom of the 2
nd. The Blue and Gold added four more runs in the 3
rd, starting with an RBI double from
Ethan Springston. After Springston scored on an error,
Justin Korenblatt delivered an RBI double and later scored on a
Cameron Johnson single.
La Salle reliever
Billy Worswick (W, 2-0) tossed three perfect innings in relief of starter
Freddy Andujar, who was charged with four runs (three earned) in four innings.
Greg Krug and
Ty Castellano each tossed perfect innings to close the game as the La Salle pen didn't allow a base runner in five innings of work.
The home team added six runs in the 6
th on six hits and an error as five different Explorers plated runs in the inning.
GAME TWOLa Salle used a seven-run 5
th inning to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the second game, sparked by a
Michael Flax single up the middle and a walk by
Collin McGowan.
Korneblatt singled up the middle to bring home Flax before
Josh Savakinus' fielder's choice groundball tied the game at 2-2.
Mark Williams gave the Explorers a 3-2 lead two batters later with a sacrifice fly to center.
Welling made it 4-2 with an RBI single to score Savakinus before Ravert pulled a three-run homer over the right field fence to put La Salle in front by five runs.
Ravert also started on the mound for the Explorers, allowing three runs (one earned) whiles striking out four in 5.1 innings. Reliever
Adam Cherry (S, 3) entered with two runners on in the 6th with La Salle up 7-3 to earn the five-out save.
Johnson and Welling both delivered two-run singles in the 6
th to extend the Explorer lead to 11-2.
