PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle University baseball team (32-18, 15-6 A-10) dropped the first of a four-game series at Saint Joseph's on Thursday in heartbreaking fashion, 3-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• La Salle went ahead quickly in the first inning on an RBI single by sophomore Elijah Dickerson, bringing home junior Tatem Levins for a 1-0 advantage.
• However, the Hawks immediately evened the score at one apiece in the bottom of the first with an RBI single of their own.
• The Explorers loaded the bases in the fourth with no outs and junior Nick O'Day was able to cross the plate on an infield grounder, but that was all the Explorers would muster.
• Once again, Saint Joe's had an answer, tying the game at two apiece on a solo home run by Nate Thomas.
• La Salle put men on in both the eighth and ninth innings but couldn't take advantage, and then the Hawks loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, scoring the game-winning run on a wild pitch.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Senior Colin Scanlon allowed just two runs on six hits over 6.2 innings, and with a pair of strikeouts, he moved into a tie for eighth on the program's single-season strikeout list with 75.
• Fellow senior Jack Cucinotta reached base twice and added a stolen base, giving him sole possession of third place in the program with 28 single-season steals and sole possession of fifth place with 46 career stolen bases.

UP NEXT

• The Explorers and Hawks will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at noon. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.