Five-Run Fifth Lifts La Salle to 7-4 Series-Clinching Victory At Saint Joseph's
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Box Score
Box Score (PDF)
MERION STATION, Pa. – La Salle's bats remained hot on Sunday afternoon, banging out 11 hits while hanging a
seven spot in the run column in a 7-4 Atlantic 10 series clinching win over Saint Joseph's at John Smithson Field. Senior Dan Klem paced the Explorer offense with a 3-for-4 showing at the plate while sophomore Kevin Conroy posted a 2-for-5 line while driving in two runs and scoring two more. Sophomore Shane Hollman earned his second victory on the season, twirling 5.1 innings of three run ball.
The Blue and Gold improve to 14-19 (8-4 A-10) while the Hawks slip to (17-18, 5-4 A-10).
Saint Joseph's got on the board first, tallying a run in the third, which the Explorers got back in the top of the fourth on a Mark Williams (2-4) RBI single. The Hawks added two more in the bottom half of the frame to take a 3-1 lead.
That lead quickly vanished in the fifth, when La Salle sent nine men to the plate, five of whom crossed in what turned out to be the deciding factor in the ballgame.
Klem singled George Smith, Jr. (1-4) home, who led off the inning with a double, which was followed by a Kevin Baron (2-3, BB) bunt which loaded the sacks. Conroy plated two runners with a ground rule double, followed by a Justin Korenblatt (0-3) sacrifice fly. Freshman Joey Ravert (1-4) drove home Conroy to cap off the five-run affair.
The Explorers added an unearned run in the eighth while proved to be more than enough for senior Pat Christensen, who notched his sixth save of the year. The senior tossed three innings, giving up one run while striking out four.
La Salle will host Delaware State on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Hank DeVincent Field in a non-league game.
NOTES: The Explorers combined for 33 hits in the last two games and 37 for the series. The hit tally marks the highest number the Blue and Gold have registered in an A-10 series this season (previous high: 24 vs. Temple)…La Salle plated 21 runs in the last two games of the series, its consecutive game high on the year…since April 6, the Blue and Gold have raised their team batting average from .242 to .259…Klem is 13 for his last 27, raising his average from .256 to .298 in the seven game span…Baron went 7-for-12 (.583) in
