PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — La Salle catcher Jayden Novak hit two home runs, including a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning, to lift the Explorers to an 11-8 victory over Saint Bonaventure on Friday in the first game of a doubleheader at Hank DeVincent Field.

Novak finished with six RBIs on a 2-for-5 day, capping the comeback with his second blast of the game. La Salle, which trailed 8-7 entering the bottom of the ninth, rallied to win and improve to 23-28-1. Saint Bonaventure fell to 12-33-1.

The Bonnies took an early lead in the top of the first but failed to score despite a double from shortstop Chris Hoalcraft. La Salle answered in the bottom half, plating three runs on three hits, including an RBI single from right fielder Carter Groen and a two-run single from third baseman Rueben Livingston that also benefited from an error. The Explorers led 3-0 after one.

Saint Bonaventure tied the game in the top of the second. Center fielder Christian Lamothe tripled and scored on a double by catcher Antonio Cordeiro, making it 3-1. But the Bonnies could not push across additional runs, and La Salle extended its lead in the bottom of the third. A single by Groen and a double by Alec Welshans set the stage for Livingston’s RBI single, and a sacrifice fly from Ryan Perez made it 5-1.

The Bonnies erupted in the top of the fourth. Left fielder Joey Calabretti singled, Lamothe singled and Cordeiro was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a strikeout, Conner Vercollone’s sacrifice fly scored Calabretti. Then second baseman Joey Bruno crushed a three-run homer to left field, scoring Cordeiro and Lamothe, tying the game at 5-5.

Neither team scored in the fifth. Saint Bonaventure stranded a runner in scoring position when Calabretti doubled with two outs but was left on base.

In the bottom of the sixth, La Salle regained the lead. Livingston singled, and Novak followed with a two-run homer to right field, giving the Explorers a 7-5 advantage.

Saint Bonaventure answered in the top of the seventh. Anthony Fernandez singled, stole second and scored on a double by Hoalcraft. Calabretti then crushed a two-run homer to left field, scoring Hoalcraft and putting the Bonnies ahead 8-7.

La Salle’s pitching settled after that. Reliever Josh Beck entered in the top of the seventh and retired the side in order, striking out one. He worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and no earned runs while striking out one.

The Explorers mounted their winning rally in the bottom of the ninth against Bonnies pitcher Joey Calabretti, who had moved from left field to the mound. Groen singled to shortstop with one out. After a fly out, Livingston doubled to center field, advancing Groen to third. John Mendola walked to load the bases. Novak then launched a grand slam to center field, scoring Groen, pinch-runner Nico Amecangelo and Mendola to end the game.

Besides Novak’s heroics, Groen went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, and Livingston had four hits and two RBIs. For Saint Bonaventure, Calabretti was 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and a double while also pitching the final 1 2/3 innings. Bruno drove in three runs on his homer.

The win was the second straight for La Salle, which had lost three of its previous four. Saint Bonaventure had lost six of its last seven entering the game.

Interstat’s ELO system had projected La Salle with a 67.80 percent probability to win.