PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The La Salle University baseball team took a two-run lead in the fourth inning, but Rutgers scored nine runs in the fifth, leading to an 11-3 defeat for the Explorers. Despite the loss, junior Ben Faso extended his hit streak to 16 games.
 
Faso's current streak, which began on March 10 at Missouri, is the fifth longest in program history, tying Brendan Norton's 16-game mark that was accomplished in 2010.
 
La Salle took the lead in the second inning, as sophomore Ryan Guckin drove in freshman Jack Cucinotta on a sacrifice fly to right field. The Explorers then took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when junior Kevin McGowan scored on a throwing error.
 
Rutgers tallied a run on an RBI ground out in the bottom of the fourth, but freshman starter Colin Kennedy struck out the final batter looking to escape a bases-loaded jam, preserving the Explorers' lead.
 
However, Rutgers took command in the fifth, scoring nine runs on six hits and an error to go on top, 10-2. The Scarlet Knights then added another run in the seventh to take an 11-2 advantage.
 
La Salle cut the deficit to 11-3 in the eighth inning as Cucinotta scored his second run of the day on a wild pitch, but the damage was already done.
 
Kennedy finished the day with five strikeouts while giving up four runs and seven hits over 4.1 innings. Faso went 2-for-5 to lead La Salle on offense, while Cucinotta was 1-for-3 with two runs and two walks.
 
The Explorers (8-21) will return home on Tuesday when they host Delaware State for a 3 p.m. contest at Hank DeVincent Field.