MERION STATION, Pa. – The 27th out is said to be the toughest, and the Saint Joseph's baseball team proved that adage to be true as the Hawks scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth – three of them with two outs – to tie the game before Stefan Kancylarz hit an RBI double in the bottom of the 13th to give SJU a 9-8 win over La Salle at Smithson Field on Friday.
With three hits on Friday, Kancylarz moved into a tie for sixth on the program's all-time list with 215. John Brue hit his 12th home run of the year as well, tying the single-season school record.
Trailing 8-3, Brian Lau led off the ninth with a double to left before Lansing Veeder belted his first career home run over the fence in left to get the Hawks back within three. Three batters later, Taylor Boyd drew a two-out walk to bring Brue to the plate; the junior then lofted a 3-2 offering from Billy Worswick over the fence in right for the record-tying home run. After a four-pitch walk to Deon Stafford, Kancylarz ripped a double to right center. La Salle center fielder Travis George then mishandled the ball, allowing Stafford to come across with the tying run and send the Hawks to extra innings for the first time this season.
In the bottom of the 13th, Stafford hit into a fielder's choice and was on first with two outs. Kancylarz doubled to right center once again, and the throw from George was on line, but Stafford's slide dislodged the ball from catcher Ryan Welling's mitt and gave the Hawks the walk-off victory.
La Salle (20-22-1 overall, 8-8 Atlantic 10) drew first blood, stringing together three singles and a sacrifice fly to score the game's first run in the top of the first inning.
Saint Joseph's (17-22 overall, 7-8 Atlantic 10) answered right away, edging in front, 2-1, after one. Matt Maul and Boyd led off with consecutive infield singles before advancing on a groundout by Brue. Stafford then ripped a single through the right side to score both Maul and Boyd.
The Explorers went back ahead in the top of the second as Collin McGowan's one-out double down the left field line scored a pair and Mark Williams' two-out single scored McGowan to make it a 4-2 game.
La Salle extended the lead in the fourth. Williams drove in his second run of the day with a double to left, and Joey Ravert followed with a two-run single to right to put the Explorers up by five.
Both pitchers settled in at that point, as La Salle's Joey Ravert retired 10 in a row at one point and 16 of 17 between the second and seventh, and SJU's Pat Vanderslice sent down the final 11 batters he faced.
The Hawks threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with one out on a pair of singles and a fielder's choice, but an RBI groundout from Kancylarz would be the only run the Hawks could muster in the frame.
La Salle got it back in the ninth, however, as McGowan led off with a triple and came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Cameron Johnson.
That set up the late-game fireworks that led to the Hawks' second walk-off win of the season; the first was on April 15 against Saint Peter's.
Justin Aungst earned the win for SJU, allowing one hit and striking out four in four shutout innings of relief; he improved to 4-0. Tom Fazzini took the loss for La Salle, falling to 1-3, after allowing a run on five hits and two walks in four-plus innings.
The teams will play the second game of the series on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Saturday is also Alumni and Family Day at Smithson Field, and recent SJU Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Norm Kraft '71 will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
