Temple University Athletics
OWLS DROP 6-4 REGULAR SEASON FINALE TO SAINT JOSEPH'S
5.12.02 | Baseball
The Owls put up a three spot in the opening inning off starter and eventual winner, Eric Vardigan (3-5). Leadoff hitter Fred Hilliard (Upper Darby, Pa/Upper Darby) was hit by a pitch. The Owls then strung together three consecutive singles by Keith Ramsey (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Regional), Joe Lyall (Levittown, Pa/Harry Truman) and John Quigley (Bensalem, Pa/Bensalem) to go up 2-0. Sam Sabolchick (Hazleton, Pa/Hazleton Area) then singled with two outs to drive in Quigley with the third run of the inning.
The lead didn't last long however. Thanks to some sloppy play in the field by the Owls, the Hawks scored four runs in the top of the second on just two hits. Three Owl errors contributed to the uprising as starter and loser Bryan Stamm (2-3) (Mifflinburg, Pa/Mifflinburg) was relieved by Mike Caron (Yardley, Pa/Pennsbury).
Hawk starter Eric Vardigan settled in to blank the Owls over the next three innings while Caron blanked the Hawks until the fifth when, once again, errors allowed two unearned runs to cross the plate with two outs, giving Saint Joseph's a 6-3 lead.
The Owls would get one back in the home sixth. Catcher Jeff Roma (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) singled, was wild pitched to second and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jason Connor (Norristown, Pa/Kennedy Kenrick). Roma then scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Mike Weckenman (Newtown, Pa/Council Rock).
The Owls last threat came in the eighth off reliever Erik Holman. Following a walk to Sabolchick, Connor singled and after a two out walk to Pete Colon (Birdsboro, PA/Daniel Boone), Holman retired Hilliard on a ground out to second.
In the ninth, senior Joe Lyall singled with one out but Holman escaped any further trouble by retiring the next two batters to pick up his second safe of the season.
The Owls now travel up to Norwich, Connecticut to begin play on Thursday in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. The Owls will take on either Dayton or Xavier beginning at 12:30 p.m.
