PHILADELPHIA – For the sixth time this season, the La Salle University baseball team came from behind and left victorious, as the Explorers bounced back with a hard-fought home win over Villanova from Hank DeVincent Field on Wednesday, 7-6.

Freshman Jack Cucinotta hit his first career home run, while junior Ben Faso was a perfect 5-for-5 from the plate.

After opening up a 4-0 lead after six innings of play, the Explorers suddenly found themselves trailing by a run heading to the bottom of the seventh. La Salle responded with two runs to go back on top, but Villanova remained persistent, tying the game in the top of the eighth, 6-6.

Then in the bottom of the eighth, freshman Tommy Toal drove in the go-ahead run in junior Peyton Sorrels to push La Salle to victory.

Fellow freshman Michael Jenkins was dealing on the mound, as he tied his career high with seven strikeouts over six-plus innings of work. He had a no-hitter going through five innings and finished with only three hits and two runs allowed.

Faso opened the scoring with an RBI double to center, scoring Sorrels for the game's first run in the third inning. The next inning, Cucinotta belted a two-run homer to left field, bringing in senior Brian Dudeck and providing a three-run lead. Cucinotta then scored on a sacrifice fly by Sorrels in the sixth to push the La Salle advantage to 4-0.

However, the Wildcats mustered five runs on six hits in the top of the seventh to take the lead, 5-4.

The Explorers quickly answered right back though, scoring a pair in the bottom of the frame to jump back in front. Sophomore Ryan Guckin came through with a pinch-hit RBI single that allowed senior Austin Constantini to score the tying run. Dudeck followed that up with an RBI single of his own, as Faso came in to put La Salle on top, 6-5.

Villanova scored on a wild pitch in the eighth, however, and tied the game up at six apiece.

Sorrels led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and later advanced to second, bringing up Toal with two outs. The rookie delivered with a single up the middle to bring in Sorrels for the go-ahead run.

The Wildcats threatened with two on in the ninth, but sophomore Sebastian Martinez struck out the final batter to wrap up the win.

Martinez got the win and improved his team-leading record to 4-0 on the year. He has been the winning pitcher in each of his last four appearances.

Faso's 5-for-5 day included two doubles, a run and an RBI. Cucinotta went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs and a double in addition to the long ball. Sorrels also went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, while Dudeck was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

La Salle will return to Atlantic 10 Conference play next, traveling to Massachusetts for a three-game series with the Minutemen starting Friday at 3 p.m.