Rich Prall led the way for the Explorers, finishing the day 3-for-4 with a grand slam, two doubles, three runs scored and a career-high six RBI. His two-out two RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a 9-9 tie and looked to be the game-winner, but the Minutemen would not be denied despite blowing a six-run lead in the seventh inning.

The Explorers would send 11 batters to the plate in the seventh, and would score six runs. After a bases loaded RBI single by Bill Kern, Prall brought La Salle to within a run at 9-8 with a grand slam. Three batters and two pitchers later, Mike Dertouzos would drive in his second run of the day with a single, scoring George Hudock, the game-tying run.

After Prall’s double in the eighth, Hudock would knock him home with a single and La Salle would load the bases again. Hudock would score on a balk and the Explorers increased its lead to 13-9 entering the ninth.

Massachusetts (6-16, 4-7 A-10) plated an unearned run to start the top of the ninth, and then a three-run home run by Ryan Franczek would tie the game at 13-13. Two straight singles, the second by Lou Proietti, which would score Adam Tempesta, would give the Minutemen the lead, which they held not relinquish this time.

The Minutemen actually started the game with back-to-back singles by Franczek and Tempesta, who each came around to score to give the Minutemen a first inning 2-0 lead.

La Salle (12-20, 5-5 A-10) answered in the bottom of the frame with three of its own. The Explorers loaded the bases with back-to-back singles by Dennis Burge and Kern and a walk by Prall. After two outs, Dertouzos drew a walk, scoring Kern and both Prall and John Rickards scored after Massachusetts’ pitcher David Sullivan threw the ball into center field on a pickoff attempt.

The Minutemen then took control of the game, scoring seven unanswered runs, including four in the third inning on a grand slam by Bryan Garrity, and three in the sixth inning, two on a single by Bryan Adamski and the other on a RBI groundout by Garrity.

After the first inning, Sullivan settled in allowing just five base runners over the next five innings, three of which were erased by double plays and another was picked off at first. He even got the first two outs of the seventh, but would not see the end of the inning. 

Only one pitcher in the game did not allow a runner to score while on the mound, that was Massachusetts’ Adamski, who threw a perfect ninth inning to earn his second save of the season. Mike Dicato, who pitched just 0.1 innings and allowed one run, won his first game and La Salle’s Gerard Breslin (3-3) suffered the loss.