PHILADELPHIA -- The bats never cooled.
La Salle capped a weekend-long celebration of its return to Division I baseball Sunday afternoon with a 7-4 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore, completing a three-game sweep at Hank DeVincent Field and finishing an explosive opening series with 48 runs.
Chase Swain and Carter Groen each homered and drove in three runs, while Alec Welshans blasted his third home run in as many days to power the Explorers (3-0) to another statement win.
Through three games, Groen has driven in 11 runs, anchoring an offense that has overwhelmed opposing pitching. Swain, Welshans and Daniel Perez — who added two hits Sunday — are all hitting .500 or better through the opening series.
As a team, La Salle hit .359 over the weekend with a 1.184 OPS and reached base in more than half of its plate appearances (.504). Six Explorers — Swain, Perez, Welshans, Groen, Jayden Novak and Ryan Perez — posted OPS marks north of 1.000 (minimum nine plate appearances).
Maryland Eastern Shore struck first Sunday, scoring a run in the top of the third. La Salle answered immediately.
Welshans led off the bottom of the inning by launching a towering drive over the left-field fence to tie the game. Three batters later, Swain followed with a two-run homer to left, scoring Daniel Perez and giving the Explorers a 3-1 lead they would not surrender.
La Salle extended its advantage in the fifth when Swain and Groen each drove in a run, pushing the margin to 5-1.
The Hawks made it interesting in the seventh, plating three runs — highlighted by a home run from Jonathan Gonzalez-Perez — to trim the lead to 5-4.
Again, the Explorers responded.
Swain was hit by a pitch to open the bottom of the seventh, and Groen stepped in and kept a high fly ball fair down the left-field foul pole for a two-run homer, restoring a three-run cushion at 7-4.
The bullpen made it stand.
Graduate left-hander Josh Beck (1-0) earned the win in relief. Entering in the fifth with two runners aboard and no outs — including the tying run — Beck stranded both and followed with a scoreless sixth, striking out three over two shutout innings.
Titus Shay locked down the save with two perfect innings, striking out three on just 20 pitches.
Starter Ryan Brown struck out five over four innings, allowing one run on four hits. Marco Levari worked the seventh, striking out three despite allowing two hits and three runs, only one earned.
The sweep punctuated a weekend that reintroduced La Salle baseball in emphatic fashion. After scoring 27 runs on Opening Day and 14 more Saturday, the Explorers closed with seven Sunday, blending power, depth and timely relief pitching.
La Salle will carry its 3-0 record into Tuesday’s road matchup at Delaware, scheduled for a 4 p.m. first pitch, with momentum firmly on its side.
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