CHARLESTON, S.C. – For the sixth consecutive game, the La Salle University baseball team racked up double-digit hits and took an early lead, holding off The Citadel for a 6-4 victory in the series finale on Sunday.
 
Seven different players recorded a hit for La Salle (3-4), including three with multi-hit games. Senior Chase Arnold homered for the second straight game and scored three runs to pace the Explorers on offense.
 
Just as they did in each of the first two games of the series, the Explorers jumped out to an early lead in the second inning, this time holding off the Bulldogs' comeback attempt.
 
Freshman Tommy Toal stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the second inning and delivered with an RBI single to left field to bring home Arnold for the game's first run. Senior Brian Dudeck then crossed the plate in the next at-bat, as senior Austin Constantini hit an RBI groundout, putting La Salle up by two.
 
Dudeck drove home junior Kevin McGowan on a single to center in the third inning to make it a 3-0 advantage. The following inning, McGowan came to bat with the bases juiced once more, coming through with an RBI single through the right side to bring in Toal for a four-run cushion.
 
The Explorers weren't finished there, adding another run in the fifth inning. Toal knocked in Arnold for the second time on an RBI groundout, as La Salle took a commanding 5-0 lead.
 
Freshman Colin Kennedy made his second start on the mound and was strong over 4.1 innings, finishing with five strikeouts while giving up just one earned run on five hits.
 
The Citadel slowly started to make a comeback starting in the fifth, when William Kinney hit an RBI single to get the Bulldogs on the board. The home team added two more runs in the sixth to make it a two-run game, 5-3.
 
Arnold added an insurance run in the seventh, hitting his third home run of the season with a solo shot to left field to provide a three-run advantage.
 
The Bulldogs threatened in the bottom of the ninth, as Kinney hit an RBI double to right center to make it 6-4. Junior Connor Hinchliffe took over pitching duties with two outs and the potential tying run at the plate, getting the final batter to ground out en route to his first career save.
 
Toal went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, while Dudeck was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Junior Mike Anthony (2-0) picked up the win for La Salle.
 
The Explorers will head to Princess Anne, Md., next for their eighth straight road game at Maryland Eastern Shore on Tuesday at 3 p.m.