ARLINGTON, Va. – Despite holding leads of 4-0 and 6-4 on Friday, the La Salle University baseball team couldn't hold off the George Washington Colonials, dropping an 11-6 road decision in the Explorers' Atlantic 10 Conference opener.
 
Junior Ben Faso had a productive day at the plate in the defeat, going 2-for-5 with three RBI, two runs and a home run.
 
For the 11th time in 19 games, La Salle (5-14, 0-1 A-10) scored first, bringing in the game's opening run in the top of the second inning. Sophomore Dylan Evans hit a two-out double to left center and then came in to score on an RBI single hit by catcher Brett Simon to put the Explorers ahead, 1-0.
 
In the third inning, La Salle continued where it left off, plating three more runs to take a 4-0 lead. Faso drove home senior Austin Constantini on an RBI double to left center to ignite the three-run third. Two batters later, freshman Manny Garcia knocked in Faso on an RBI single to make it 3-0. Then redshirt sophomore Dillon Malandro singled up the middle to score Garcia, providing a four-run advantage.
 
The Colonials got on the board in the fourth inning before tallying three runs in the fifth to even the score at 4-4.
 
Faso broke the tie in the sixth when he hit his first homer of the season, a two-run shot to left center that scored Constantini to give La Salle a 6-4 lead.
 
However, George Washington immediately responded in the bottom half of the inning, as Dominic D'Alessandro tied it at six apiece on a two-run double. The Colonials then took their first lead of the game on a balk.
 
George Washington (10-11, 1-0 A-10) added four more insurance runs in the seventh, leading to the 11-6 final.
 
Evans went 2-for-2 with a run, while Garcia was 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI and two walks. Sophomore Matt Holt started on the mound, allowing four runs over 4.2 innings with three strikeouts. Freshman James Kelly (0-1) drew the loss after taking over in relief in the fifth inning.
 
The two teams will meet again on Saturday with first pitch set for 1 p.m.