Baseball hosts LaSalle in schedule addition

The Quakers (5-17) and the Explorers (10-13) will also play in their previously scheduled game, which is scheduled for tomorrow at 3 p.m. on Bower Field. The addition of this game was a response to Penn having already missed five games this season due to inclement weather and other unforeseen events. A March 17 game at West Chester and a March 20 twinbill at Coppin State were canceled because those schools could not comply with new NCAA regulations on bat size. And on March 21, the Quakers were rained out of a doubleheader at Mt. St. Mary's. If they hadn't added this game to their schedule, the Quakers would have been left with a total of 37 games for the '99 season. In recent years, the Quakers have played anywhere from 36 to 46 games. The two teams have met annually since 1947, with the Explorers winning the '98 meeting at home in a high-scoring affair, 18-17, on an RBI-single by La Salle sophomore cleanup hitter Mike Fuchs in the bottom of the ninth. With several of Penn starters pitching complete games over the weekend, the Quakers are likely to pitch by committee again tomorrow and Wednesday -- with three pitchers splitting time on the mound. The Quakers are in the midst of a seven-game slide and this additional non-league matchup could prove helpful as Penn prepares for upcoming Ivy doubleheaders with Yale and Brown this weekend. -- Andrew McLaughlin