Baseball: Explorers get swept by Arizona to Open Season

By Mike Petty
Collegian Staff
March 1, 2006

Below 30 degree weather, patches of snow here and there, cloudy skies with periods of no sun for days, the sun going down before 6 p.m. and the fact that the national press and television media is obsessed with the Winter Olympics.

All of these factors are a testament as to why Philadelphia is far from suitable for baseball. As a result, the La Salle baseball team took its game on the road to open its season this past weekend against the Arizona Wildcats in warm, sunny Tucson, Ariz.

Last season was one of midseason hope and late season struggles that led to hopes for a postseason berth fading away. The team finished 18-34 (9-15 in A-10 play) but the team’s record does not tell the whole story. Losing 11 of their last 12 games, the men ended the season on a down note. However, last season has not put a damper on high hopes for this upcoming season.

While a few key players graduated, there is still a very strong core of players returning, including: junior catcher Rich Prall (.330, three HR, 31 RBI), junior second baseman Billy Kern (.281, 102 B, 26 RBI), junior closer Gerard Breslin (4-2, 1.71 ERA, nine SV), junior LHP Dan Waters (3-9, one SHO) and two outfielders, senior George Hudock (five HR) and junior John Vincent (four HR).

Last year’s stats tell only part of the story. Every player looks to improve on this season, beginning with the matchup against the Wildcats.
“We’re looking to improve on last year [and] get 30 wins,” Vincent said. “[Also], making the playoffs would be great because we were so close last season.”

In game one, the Wildcats jumped out to a 10-0 lead by the fifth inning, but La Salle found its stroke in the sixth. Sophomore Dennis Burge drove in sophomore John Rickards, who was on third after slicing a triple, with a single. A bases-loaded walk to freshman Matt Burns brought home another run, and was followed by a single from senior Mike Essery, who drove in the final run of the inning.

The Wildcats then added a few more runs, and the game ended with the Explorers on the wrong side of a 15-4 final. Sophomore Brandon Geib (0-1) started for the Explorers, who quickly looked to the rest of the series after this loss.

Game two was similar to the first, as it featured La Salle falling 15-1 to the Wildcats. Although less runs were scored, game two proved to be an improvement for the Explorers.

Kern doubled in the sixth inning and was brought home by a Prall single, which turned out to be the only run for the Explorers. However, Vincent and freshman Kenny Elkind both went 2-4 and Kern reached base in three of his four trips to the plate.

Sophomore Jamie Cowan pitched three solid innings of relief, allowing only one hit and one run, while striking out three. La Salle ran into a masterful performance by Arizona’s Preston Guilmet (1-0), who pitched seven innings and only allowed one run on six hits while striking out eight.

After the two losses, the team looked ahead to the final game of the series in the hopes of ending the weekend on a positive note. The game was vastly different from its predecessors in almost every respect.

All of the scoring occurred in the first inning. Vincent delivered an RBI-triple that drove in Prall and was brought home by a single from Rickards.

Starter Dan Waters (six IP, five H, two R, four K) pitched admirably, holding the 2-0 lead until the sixth inning. With the game tied at two in the seventh, the Explorers brought in shut down closer Gerard Breslin (0-1).

Things seemed to be going well; however, in the bottom of the eighth, Arizona’s Jason Donald drove in the winning run. The loss dropped the Explorers to 0-3 on the season with a 3-2 defeat.

“Each game we got better offensively and defensively,” Vincent said. “The freshmen played well, and as a team, if we play like this in A-10 games, we’ll win them. Playing better competition like this prepares us for A-10 play, as these are the best teams we’ll play all year.”

The standings may not look good, but there were many positives that emerged. The offensive star of the weekend was Vincent, who finished 6-10 with an RBI while starting all three games in the Explorers’ outfield.

“This was the first time I felt completely comfortable offensively,” Vincent said.

Furthermore, strong pitching performances were seen from Waters, Cowan and Elkind, giving hope to the rest of the season.

La Salle will continue its road trip this weekend when it takes on UNC-Wilmington for a three-game set. Then the team’s home opener will take place on Friday, March 10 against Central Connecticut State.

pettym1@lasalle.edu