St. Joseph's 3, Rhode Island 2 - The Hawks scored a ninth-inning run to defeat the No. 3-seeded Rams on Friday, eliminating them.
St. Joseph's loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth on a single and a pair of walks. Facing a full count, Kevin Taylor hit a ground ball to first base. The Rams attempted to get lead runner Brett Tiagwad (St. Joseph's Prep) out at the plate, but the throw home sailed wide and Tiagwad scored the game-winner.
The Hawks' Daniel Thorpe (3-2) threw a complete game to get the win, allowing five hits and two runs with seven strikeouts in nine innings.
The Hawks tied the game in the fifth after Tiagwad reached on a single and was driven in by a groundout by Kevin Kratochwill. St. Joe's took the lead an inning later when Anthony Cirillo doubled home Stefan Kancylarz.
Tiagwad went 3 for 4 to lead the Hawks.
Dayton 4, St. Joseph's 3 - Dayton catcher Josh Jeffery hit an RBI single up the middle that scored shortstop Robby Sunderman in the 13th inning to lift the second-seeded Flyers to an extra-inning win over the No. 6 Hawks.
The game, which began at 9:15 p.m. Thursday following multiple rain delays, concluded at 12:49 a.m. Friday.
Hawks catcher Brian O'Keefe hit a ninth-inning lead-off single to put the potential winning run on base. Third baseman Stefan Kancylarz (Lenape) bunted to sacrifice O'Keefe to second. A two-out double by Cirillo drove in O'Keefe to give St. Joe's a 3-2 lead.
Dayton rallied in the bottom of the ninth, starting with a one-out bunt single by leftfielder Ian Hundley, who advanced to second on a throwing error. Designated hitter Joe Gayda then walked, and a bloop single by third baseman C.J. Gillman that scored Hundley tied the game.
SJU starter Kyle Mullen (St. Joseph's Prep) notched a career-high 12 strikeouts that was just two shy of the A-10 championship record of 14, set by Temple's Bill Mendek in 1984.
Burny Mitchem (6-7) earned the win for the Flyers, pitching 42/3 innings, allowing four hits and no runs.
Mike Muha (4-3) suffered the loss, throwing two-thirds of an inning, allowing two hits and one run.
The Hawks scored twice in the fourth, first on a Kancylarz triple that drove in O'Keefe, who had reached on a fielder's choice. Kancylarz then scored on a double to left-center by second baseman Lansing Veeder (Paul VI).
Kratochwill, Greg Kumpel, and Veeder each had two hits to lead the Hawks.
Durkin honored
Tucker Durkin, a junior on the Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse team and a graduate of La Salle High, added another honor to his growing list of accolades as he was named the 2012 recipient of the William C. Schmeisser Award, which is presented annually to the nation's top defenseman.
Durkin was also recently named a first-team USILA all-American after garnering second-team honors last season.
Durkin started all 16 games on close defense for the Blue Jays this season and totaled 35 ground balls, 19 caused turnovers, and one assist. He led the team in caused turnovers and finished third in ground balls while marking the opposition's top attackman in each game.
Mahoney qualifies
Temple senior Travis Mahoney finished the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA East Preliminary in Jacksonville, Fla., with a season-best time of 8 minutes, 40.00 seconds to place ninth overall.
Mahoney, the school-record-holder in the event, will compete at the NCAA championships at Drake University June 6-9.
- Staff and wire reports
