PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle University baseball team took the lead early, as it has done on a regular basis this season, but the Wagner Seahawks proved to be too much, as the Explorers fell, 15-3, from Hank DeVincent Field on Saturday.

La Salle (4-13) held a 2-1 lead after the third inning, but 11 combined runs by Wagner (9-8) in the fourth and fifth frames put the Seahawks ahead for good.

After a Nick Mascelli solo home run gave Wagner a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, La Salle answered in the bottom of the inning. Junior Ben Faso tied the game at one apiece on a well-struck ball to right field, scoring senior Austin Constantini. Then with the bases loaded, junior Brian Tagoe drew a walk, allowing Faso to trot home with the go-ahead run.

The fourth inning proved troublesome for the Explorers, as the Seahawks scored six runs on four hits and two errors. The fifth inning was equally as harmful, with Wagner tallying five more runs to take a commanding 12-2 lead.

Wagner added two runs in the seventh on a Kyle Cala double before capping off the team's 16-hit game with a solo homer by Phil Capra in the eighth.

Constantini, who went 2-for-4 in the game, ripped an RBI single down the right field line to score Dylan Evans in the ninth inning, leading to the 15-3 final.

Freshman Colin Kennedy (0-3) struck out four batters before bowing out after 3.1 innings pitched. Meanwhile, Neil Abbatiello gave up just two earned over five innings to pick up the win for Wagner.

The Explorers will conclude their three-game home stand on Sunday, when they take on Sacred Heart at 1 p.m.