Philadelphia, PA – A weekend-long celebration of baseball's return to La Salle University concluded with a 7-4 victory Sunday over Maryland Eastern Shore to complete the opening series sweep of the Hawks.
Chase Swain and
Carter Groen each homered and drove in three RBI while
Alec Welshans blasted his third home run in as many days to power the Explorers' offense, which finishes the weekend having scored 48 total runs.
Groen has now driven in 11 RBI through the first three games of the season. Swain, Welshans, and Danny Perez (2 hits Sunday) are hitting .500 or better through the opening set.
As a team, La Salle hit .359, OPSd 1.184, and was on base in more than half (.504) of all plate appearances during the series.
The Explorers also have six batters OPSing .1000 or higher (minimum nine plate appearances): Swain, Perez, Welshans, Groen,
Jayden Novak, and
Ryan Perez.
Maryland Eastern Shore opened the scoring with a run in the top of the third, but La Salle responded with timely hitting when needed to stay ahead for the rest of the afternoon.
Welshans led off the bottom of the third with his home run, blasted far over the left field fence. Three batters later, Swain deposited one over the high left field fence as well, a two-run shot to score Danny Perez and give La Salle the lead that it would not relent.
Swain and Groen each contributed an RBI in the bottom of the fifth, but Maryland Eastern Shore put up three in the top of the seventh, cutting La Salle's lead to 5-4 after a home run from Jonathan Gonzalez-Perez.
La Salle received timely hitting again, though, in the bottom of the seventh to provide breathing room. Swain was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and next batter Groen kept a high fly ball fair down the left field foul pole to give La Salle the 7-4 lead.
Titus Shay locked down the save with two perfect innings, striking out three on just 20 pitches.
Josh Beck came up big out of the bullpen for La Salle, also, to earn the win. Beck inherited a pair of runners – including the tying run – with no outs in the top of the fifth and stranded both in scoring position, then tossed a shutdown sixth after La Salle's two-run bottom of the fifth. Beck is credited with the win.
Ryan Brown started on the mound for La Salle and struck out five in four innings, allowing just one run scattering four hits.
Marco Levari struck out three in the seventh.
La Salle will return to action on Tuesday with a road contest at Delaware, with first pitch slated for 4:00 pm.
