Philadelphia, PA – La Salle was swept by Fordham in a Saturday doubleheader at Hank DeVincent Field, dropping Game 1, 5-4, and Game 2, 10-3.
Game 1
For the second consecutive game, La Salle showed fight to rally from a large early deficit but just couldn't get the timely hit in a 5-4 loss to Fordham in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader at Hank DeVincent Field.
The Explorers, once down, 4-0, chipped away in the late innings but couldn't get equal and left the bases loaded – with the potential tying run 90 feet away and walk-ahead run on second – to end the game in the bottom of the ninth.
Rueben Livingston hit a solo home run and
Carter Groen hit his Atlantic 10-leading 54
th RBI in the effort.
Livingston's home run – a towering shot high over the left field wall – started the rally for La Salle, putting the Explorers on the board in the seventh to make cut the deficit to 4-1.
Fordham got the run back in the top of the eighth, but La Salle took advantage of a pair of Rams errors in the bottom of the eighth to put up a three spot and cut the deficit to a run.
Pinch-hitter
Jackson Peper worked a leadoff walk,
Daniel Perez reached on a fielding error by the pitcher, and
Chase Swain drew a walk to load the bases with one out for the Explorers in that eighth inning.
Next batter Groen singled to center to score a run as the Explorers went station-to-station.
Alec Welshans followed up with a run-scoring fielder's choice groundout, and the Explorers were then gifted a run on a throwing error by the Fordham shortstop on a ball hit by Livingston, allowing a run to score and prolonging the inning on what would've been the third out.
Josh Beck, who threw 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen without allowing an earned run, heled Fordham in check in the top of the ninth and La Salle again loaded the bases, though Fordham bore down to get the final out without allowing any damage.
Owen MacDonnell got the start on the mound for La Salle and was strong in 5 2/3 innings, striking out five and allowing just two earned runs on six hits and three walks.
Game 2
A back-and-forth affair early on turned lopsided from the third inning on, as Fordham scored nine straight runs at one point en route to a 10-3 victory Game 2 to earn the doubleheader and overall series sweep.
La Salle had jumped ahead, 1-0, and then 2-1, before Fordham scored six runs in the third inning, two in the sixth, and added another in the seventh to turn the game upside down and claim a 10-2 lead in the seventh.
Chase Swain hit a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to cut into the deficit, but Fordham's Andrew Kapica shut the door with a three inning save.
Swain's homer was part of a two-hit performance in Game 2, including a first inning triple, on the heels of three on Friday and a knock in Game 1. The redshirt-senior is currently tenth in the Atlantic 10 Conference in batting average (.349) and first in triples (5).
Groen, who contributed a first inning RBI after Swain's triple, leads the conference in the RBI category as well (55).
