March 12, 2009
Box Score
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Sophomore right-hander Matt Witte (Westminster, Md.) threw seven innings, giving up one earned run, but it wasn't enough as La Salle topped the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team, 2-0, at Hawks Stadium Thursday.
Witte kept the Hawks (2-13) in the game surrendering just eight hits and striking out three, as UMES dropped its seventh straight. La Salle starter Sean Kennedy went eight innings and limited the hosts to five hits and two walks while striking out six. The win moved the Explorers to 5-5 on the season.
UMES freshman catcher Ben Vasko (San Diego, Calif.) got two of the Hawks' six hits on the day and Phil Vaughn (Clinton, Md.) picked up his team-leading 10th steal in 11 attempts.
Jeff Flax and Brian Meagher each had a pair of hits and an RBI in the win.
Three of La Salle's first four batters of the game reached base on two hits and walk, but Witte was able to keep the game scoreless. Vasko gunned down John Malloy attempting to steal and T.J. Chism grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
After a Meagher throwing error to start the UMES second allowed Rusell Deutschmann (Baden, Ontario) to reach, Franklin Armstrong (Trenton, N.J.) moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt. Vasko then singled to give the Hawks first and third with one out, but Jorge Pichardo (La Vega, Dominican Republic) popped into a double play.
An RBI single to left in the third from Brendan Norton gave La Salle a 1-0 advantage but that was all the Explorers could muster until pushing an unearned run off of reliever John DesChamps (Virginia Beach, Va.) in the eighth.
La Salle made it 2-0 when Zack Feirstein walked and advanced to second on a DesChamps failed pickoff. Meagher followed, shooting a RBI single up the middle.
UMES put two on in the ninth as both Elliott Alston (Littleton, Colo.) and Armstrong each singled up the middle before Cody came on to shut the door for his first save of the season.
Kennedy improved to 1-0 on the year; Witte fell to 0-1.
The Hawks host Binghamton for three games this weekend starting with a Saturday doubleheader at noon.
