LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The La Salle baseball team came up short at Rider in the opening game of the Liberty Bell Classic, falling 5-2 to the Broncs on Tuesday afternoon at Sonny Pittaro Field. 

The Broncs used a three-run 2nd inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead against La Salle starter Mike Anthony (L, 1-2). The righty allowed four runs in five innings on six hits and a pair of walks. 

La Salle got on the board in the 3rd when Kevin McGowan worked a two-out walk, moved to second on a Jared Melone single and scored on a Joey Ravert grounder. The Broncs got the run back in the bottom of the 8th on a Mike Volaski RBI single against Derek Prucnal. 

Ethan Springston tripled with one out in the 9th and scored on a Justin Jacko sac fly but the Explorers weren't able to get anything else going against Rider's Paul Sparano. Springston finished with a game-high three hits for La Salle. 

The Explorers open Atlantic 10 play this weekend as they visit the George Washington Colonials for a three-game series beginning on Friday.