PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's baseball team headed across town on Saturday for a doubleheader at La Salle. The local rivals shared the spoils, as SJU came away with a 10-2 win in the first game before La Salle held on for a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.
In the opener, John Brue tied the program record for career home runs with his 25th as the Hawks pounded the Explorers, 10-2. The win was a historic one for eighth-year head coach Fritz Hamburg; he now stands alone as the all-time leader in coaching victories in Saint Joseph's baseball history after notching win number 185, breaking a tie with Chris Loschiavo, who helmed the program from 1987 to 1996.
After three scoreless innings, Saint Joseph's (23-19 overall, 10-7 Atlantic 10) hung a four-spot on the board against the Explorers' Jordan Meyer in the top of the fourth. Consecutive one-out doubles from Charlie Coghlin and Charlie Concannon opened the scoring and gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead. After a walk to Matt Maul, Cal Jadacki hit a two-run double to clear the bases and make it a 3-0 game. Brian Lau then followed with an RBI double of his own to cap off the inning.
The Explorers looked to respond in the bottom half as Jared Melone led off with a double, but Lucas Rollins struck out the side to strand the runner.
The Hawks extended the lead in the sixth, as a walk and two hit batsmen loaded the bases for Marc Giacalone, whose fielder's choice brought home Jadacki. Brue then led off the seventh with his milestone home run to push the margin to 6-0.
La Salle (14-33 overall, 5-12 Atlantic 10) scored a pair in the bottom of the frame on a two-out, two-run double by Ben Faso, but the Hawks tacked on four more in the top of the eighth to close out the scoring. After Giacalone reached on an error and Deon Stafford, Jr., singled, Brue followed with a single of his own to plate Giacalone. Coghlin's second double of the game brought home Stafford with SJU's eighth run of the day.
Concannon was then hit by a pitch to bring up Matt Maul, who laced a single to right to drive home Brue and make it 9-2. Jadacki then hit into a fielder's choice to score Coghlin and set the final margin at 10-2.
Rollins allowed two runs on six hits over eight innings to improve to 3-4 on the season. He fanned five and did not walk a batter. Meyer took the loss, falling to 2-6 after allowing five runs on five hits in five and a third innings.
Unfortunately for the Crimson and Gray, the Hawks couldn't complete the sweep, as a two-run home run from Joey Ravert in the bottom of the sixth gave the Explorers a 3-2 win.
Tim Brennan retired the first nine batters of the game before Melone once again led off the fourth inning with a double. Coincidentally, Brennan responded exactly like Rollins hours earlier by striking out the side in order to leave Melone stranded.
Saint Joseph's struck first, and Coghlin was involved once again as his two run double scored Giacalone and Stafford and gave the Hawks a 2-0 lead.
Drew Jarmuz singled and stole second with one out in the bottom half of the inning before a Brett Simon double brought him home and cut the lead in half.
Melone led off the sixth with a single and was sacrificed over to second by Kevin McGowan. Brennan then fanned Brian Tagoe, but Ravert followed with sixth home run of the season to give the Explorers their first lead of the afternoon.
The Hawks would then load the bases with two outs in the seventh, but C.J. Pruitt induced a ground ball from Concannon to escape the jam.
SJU had one last chance in the ninth as Taylor Boyd led off with a walk, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Giacalone, and made it to third on a passed ball, but Pruitt struck out Stafford before Jorge Jimenez came on and fanned Brue to end the game.
Jimenez earned his first save of the season to preserve the win for Luke Reilly, who improved to 1-4 after allowing two runs on four hits in six innings of work. Brennan earned his first collegiate loss, falling to 6-1. He allowed three runs on six hits in six and a third innings while striking out 10 and walking none.
The teams will play the rubber game of the three-game set on Sunday. First pitch at Hank DeVincent Field is set for noon.
