The moment felt larger than a Sunday afternoon in March.
It carried echoes of a program rebuilding itself, of a team rediscovering its footing, and of a history that had waited more than four decades to be revisited.
On a sunny day at Hank DeVincent Field, La Salle delivered one of the most significant performances of its return season, combining for its first no-hitter since 1982 in a 10-1 victory over Davidson to clinch an Atlantic 10 series win.
Kross Howarth, Josh Beck, and Titus Shay authored the effort, holding Davidson hitless while striking out 13 batters in a performance that blended power, poise, and precision. The result marked La Salle’s first conference series win since baseball returned to the program this season — and its first Atlantic 10 series victory since May 2021.
For a program reestablishing its identity, it was a statement.
Howarth, the Opening Day starter working his way back from a brief injury absence, set the tone. The sophomore transfer from Tulane delivered 3 2/3 innings, striking out five and navigating his only trouble in the fourth inning when a bases-loaded walk accounted for Davidson’s lone run. Otherwise, he attacked the zone with confidence, showing flashes of the arm that earned him the season-opening assignment.
Beck entered in relief with two outs in that fourth inning and immediately extinguished the threat, inducing a flyout to preserve the no-hit bid. Over the next 2 1/3 innings, he faced the minimum, striking out two and continuing a steady season that has seen his ERA dip below 3.00.
Then came Shay.
The right-hander has quietly emerged as one of the most reliable arms in the Atlantic 10, and on Sunday, he closed the door with authority. Shay retired all nine batters he faced, striking out six across three perfect innings to secure the save and the no-hitter. Through 10 2/3 innings this season, he has allowed just one hit while striking out 18, a level of dominance that has become central to La Salle’s bullpen identity.
If the pitching authored the history, the offense ensured there would be no doubt.
La Salle struck early and often, beginning with a run-scoring double play from Carter Groen in the first inning. The Explorers broke the game open in the second, stringing together four runs highlighted by Jayden Novak’s two-run double, Daniel Perez’s RBI triple, and a sacrifice fly from Kosei Suzuki.
By the time Alec Welshans launched his team-leading eighth home run in the fifth and Rueben Livingston added a two-run shot in the sixth, the outcome had long been decided. La Salle finished with 10 runs, continuing an offensive surge that produced 31 runs across the three-game set.
Even in Friday’s loss, the Explorers showed their offensive ceiling. By Sunday, they paired it with pitching that suggested something more sustainable — and more dangerous — moving forward.
Over the final two games of the series, La Salle’s bullpen did not allow a run. Beck, Shay, and Hudson Narke combined for 9 1/3 scoreless innings, stabilizing a staff that is beginning to find both roles and rhythm.
For a team that entered the weekend still searching for its place in the Atlantic 10 standings, the response was decisive. La Salle improved to 2-4 in conference play, taking two of three from Davidson and establishing a foundation that had, until now, remained just out of reach.
The no-hitter will stand as the headline. It should.
But beneath it is something more important — a program beginning to look like it belongs again.
La Salle returns to action Tuesday with a Big 5 matchup against Penn before hosting Saint Peter’s on Wednesday, carrying with it not just momentum, but a moment that could define the early arc of its season.
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