PHILADELPHIA – Already tied for the best overall start in program history at 22-12, the La Salle University baseball team is now off to its best Atlantic 10 Conference start ever (7-2) with a 10-2 win over St. Bonaventure from Hank DeVincent Field on Friday.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bonnies went on top first on a two-run homer by Tyler Kelder in the top of the first.
• La Salle got one back in the bottom half of the first as senior Jack Cucinotta and junior Tatem Levins led off with back-to-back walks, and sophomore Elijah Dickerson drove in Cucinotta on an RBI groundout to make it 2-1.
• St. Bonaventure threatened with two men on and no outs to start the fifth, but senior left-hander Colin Scanlon retired the next three batters to end the scare.
• The Explorers took the lead in the bottom half, with Levins driving a double off the left field wall to bring home Cucinotta and senior Alfonse Sadallah. Dickerson then made it 4-2 with a single up the middle to score Levins.
• Junior Nick O'Day stretched the lead to 5-2 in the sixth inning with his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. Later in the inning, the Explorers added three more runs on a fielding error to take command, 8-2.
• Freshman Will Binder drove in redshirt sophomore Nick Di Vietro with a single up the middle in the seventh and then Di Vietro smacked an RBI triple in the eighth, leading to the 10-2 final.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Explorers are the only team in program history to win seven of their first nine Atlantic 10 games of the season, as they still remain in first place in the league standings.
• At 22-12 overall, La Salle remains tied with the 1982 team for the best start through 33 games. Two wins on Saturday would put this year's team alone as the only La Salle team ever with 24 wins through 36 games.
• After allowing two runs in the first inning, Scanlon settled in nicely as he improved to 5-2, matching his career high with nine strikeouts while allowing just two runs on three hits over 7.0 innings. Scanlon is now 10th in program history with 147 career strikeouts.
• Cucinotta scored three runs, walked twice and stole one base. That steal puts him tied for seventh in program history with 38 career stolen bases. It also put his season total to 20, which also ranks tied for ninth in single-season history.
• Levins also scored three times and drove in a pair to put his career RBI total to 97, just three from 100. Di Vietro went 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a walk.

UP NEXT

• The Explorers will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday with a doubleheader against the Bonnies at Hank DeVincent Field. First pitch of game one is set for 11 a.m.