March 16, 2008

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Behind a strong pitching performance from Kevin Fuqua and the bat of John Rickards, the La Salle University Baseball team won its third game of the season, 7-6, over visiting Saint Peter's at Hank DeVincent Field, Sunday.

The game actually did not start out well for the Explorers or Fuqua, as the Peacocks batted around in the first inning and plated five runs. Michael McGuire hit an RBI triple to score the first run, and scored on Kevin Kallert's single.

Then, with the score 3-0, John Lynch hit a single back through the middle to score two more and put the Explorers in a hole.

La Salle responded with one run in the bottom of the first - Kevin Prendergast scored on a passed ball - then took the lead in the second with five more runs.

Brian Meagher, Mike Canfarotta, and Shane Frangiosa all singled to start off the inning and Rick Gehman plated two with double down the right field line. After the first out of the frame, John Rickards hit a three-run home run to right to give the Explorers a 6-5 advantage.

Meanwhile, Fuqua settled down and retired 15 straight batters, including eight by strike out, four looking. He allowed a single to Ryan Burke in the sixth, then struck out Eric Miksitz for his 10th punch out of the afternoon.

In the fourth, La Salle pushed its lead to 7-5 on a Rickards RBI single scoring Frangiosa. Rickards finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBI, tying the team-high for the season.

Saint Peter's (5-6) sent pinch hitter Andy Case to start the seventh and he drew a walk. He was replaced for pinch runner Sean McFadden, who moved to second on a grounder and to third on a passed ball. He would score to make it 7-6 on an error, but Fuqua got the final out of the inning - a pop to third - to end the game.

Fuqua improved to 2-2 with the complete-game win, and stuck out 10 for the first time in his career. He allowed seven hits - just one after the first - and two walks. Santo Maertz (1-2) took the loss for the Peacocks, going six innings with five Ks.

La Salle (3-15) will be on the road this week, traveling to Delaware State for a single game Tuesday starting at 3 PM, before opening up the Atlantic 10 slate with a three-game set at Richmond, March 20-22.