Baseball Sweeps La Salle, Rallies to 8-7 Win Sunday

Sunday, April 9

Philadelphia

11:00 a.m.

Davidson College

16-13, 0

La Salle

6-23, 0

Davidson

La Salle

Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com

Baseball Sweeps La Salle, Rallies to 8-7 Win Sunday

4/9/2017 2:54:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

DavidsonPhotos.com
Box Score (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA – Doubles played quite the factor in Davidson baseball's Sunday 8-7 victory over La Salle at Hank DeVincent Field, completing the 'Cats sweep, their first in the league since 2015. A total of nine two-baggers were registered in the contest, initially plaguing, but later, benefiting Davidson.

The Wildcats move to 16-13 on the season and 7-5 in Atlantic 10 play, while La Salle drops to 6-23 and 1-8 in the league.

Junior Cam Johnson and sophomore Justin Lebek each collected three hits (with a double) and two runs in the win, while senior Will Robertson and sophomore Eric Jones added two hits apiece. Perhaps the biggest hit of the day, though, came from veteran Jake Sidwell, whose hard hit grounder back up the middle in the seventh scored both the tying and go-ahead run in the 'Cats five-run rally.

Veteran closer Westin Whitmire picked up his league-leading sixth save of the season, while junior Connor Gordon picked up his first win of the year with three solid innings of relief where he fanned four.

La Salle attacked with two runs in the second, both coming courtesy of doubles. The Explorers then added to their lead with three in the fourth, using another set of doubles and taking advantage of a Wildcat error.

Down 5-0, the 'Cats broke through in the fifth, when Lebek led off with a double and then came home on, yes, a double, from Johnson. Johnson then scored, as Robertson got in on the extra-base hit action, doubling him home.

La Salle scored again in the bottom of the frame to keep the deficit at four, until the seventh, when the 'Cats started their comeback.

Lebek led off with a single and moved to second after freshman Brett Centracchio worked a four-pitch walk. Both came home after Johnson singled and a two-base error found him at third. Robertson doubled to again bring home Johnson, and then a single from junior Alec Acosta and a walk to senior Brian Fortier put the bases loaded with two outs for Sidwell.

With a 1-1 count, Sidwell sliced the ball back up the middle, bringing home Robertson and Acosta and put the 'Cats in control for the first time in the contest at 7-6.

The narrow lead remained until the ninth, when Fortier doubled and came home on a Jones single to give the 'Cats some cushion that turned out to be necessary, as the Explorers threatened, scoring one in the ninth.

Davidson returns home for a Tuesday night showdown versus Appalachian State, before taking to the road again, traveling to Richmond, Va., to face VCU in a three-game set.