PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle University baseball team fell to Delaware at home, 7-3, in the opening round of the Liberty Bell Classic on Tuesday.
 
La Salle (5-17) took a 2-1 lead in the first inning before Delaware (13-9) went back on top and kept the Explorers in check.
 
The Blue Hens scored first on a double down the left field line by Calvin Scott, providing a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
 
The Explorers immediately answered in the bottom of the frame, scoring two runs to take a 2-1 lead. Sophomore Dylan Evans drew a bases-loaded walk to bring the tying run across in senior Austin Constantini. The next batter, junior Kevin McGowan, drove home senior Brian Dudeck on a sacrifice fly to left to put La Salle on top.
 
However, the Blue Hens responded in the second inning, tying the game up at two apiece. Delaware then regained the advantage in the fourth before adding another run in the fifth to go up 4-2.
 
La Salle pulled within just a run in the seventh frame, as Constantini scored on a sacrifice fly hit by junior Ben Faso.
 
Delaware pushed the difference to four in the eighth, however, on a three-run home run by Scott, giving the Blue Hens a comfortable 7-3 lead that they would not relinquish.
 
Dudeck went 2-for-3 with a run, while Constantini scored twice and walked once. Freshman James Kelly started on the mound and was relieved by sophomore Niko Jenkins, (0-2) who was handed the loss despite racking up three strikeouts over two innings.
 
The Explorers will remain at home as they welcome Saint Joseph's to Hank DeVincent Field for a three-game series starting on Thursday at 3 p.m.