The next batter, Burge drove a 1-2 pitch into the right-center field gap; however with the way Lafayette was playing its outfielders, it caused Handler to hold up at second looking to tag-up if the ball was caught. As soon as it dropped, though, he broke for third, but had Vincent on his tail, who was in full sprint from first. The pair rounded third and scored as the throw home sailed high, which allowed Burge to advance to second.

Bill Kern then laid down a bunt and reached first without a throw, moving the winning-run Burge to third with nobody out. Prall then laced a 2-2 pitch back through the middle for his third hit of the night, scoring Burge and setting off a joyous celebration by the Explorers, who despite their chances could not capitalize until the ninth.

The Explorer bullpen did their job, as La Salle used four pitchers out of the pen, who pitched six innings and allowed the Leopards just four hits and one run and held them scoreless for the last four innings.

Lafayette (15-15) took an early 2-0 lead, scoring first inning runs on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Leasure and a RBI single by Tom Hayes. They also pushed two unearned runs across the plate, one in the third to take a 3-0 lead, and another in the fourth inning.

The Explorers answered in the bottom of the second with a two-run home run by Mike Dertouzos, who blasted the first pitch he saw into the left field stands, to cut their deficit to 3-2.

Trailing 4-2 in the fourth, La Salle had a chance to do some damage. With one out, George Hudock singled up the middle and John Rickards walked moving Hudock to second. Again Dertouzos put a charge into the ball, but Lafayette’s James Conrad made a nice running catch into deep center, but Hudock moved to third.

Ken Elkind then drew a walk to load the bases before Handler hit the ball hard into left field, which Hayes also made a running catch on to end the Explorer threat.

The Leopards pushed their lead to 5-2 when Tom Ambrosole singled to score Law, but it would be the last run for Lafayette, who had just three base runners after the fifth inning.

La Salle (11-19) made it a two-run game when Prall knocked in his first run of the game with his first hit of the game, a single to right, scoring Mike Essery, who worked a walk after a nine-pitch at-bat.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Explorers had a chance to tie the game as they got their first two batters on base. Prall singled, which forced Lafayette to their closer Fugett (0-3). He walked the first batter he faced, Hudock, but stranded them, by recorded three straight outs.

Gerard Breslin pitched two innings of relief, including a perfect ninth inning, which included two strikeouts, to earn his third win of the season. John Reifsnyder (1.1 IP/2 H/ 1 ER), Dan Waters (1.2/0/0), and Jamie Cowan (1.0/1/0) were also called upon to relieve La Salle starter Brandon Geib (3.0/5/2), who was hurt by two costly Explorer miscues.