Temple University Athletics
OWLS AND RAMS SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER
5.4.02 | Baseball
The Temple Owls were down to their last out in the second game of the doubleheader and in jeopardy of getting swept, only to rally for two unearned runs to come away with a split.
The first game saw Brandon Bruno (Lansdale, PA/ North Penn) and Dan Pearce locked in a pitchers duel. Both pitchers went the distance as Bruno (4-6) allowed just two runs on two hits, while striking out five and walking none. Pearce (5-7) allowed just one unearned run on three hits while also striking out five.
The Rams scored their two runs in the third. With runners on second and third and two out, Justin Lamboy singled in two runs.
The Owls scored their lone run in the next inning. John Quigley (Bensalem, Pa/Bensalem) singled and was sacrificed to second by Jeff Roma (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott). Quigley then scored when Sam Sabolchick (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton Area) reached on an error by the second baseman.
In the second game, the Owls who received a boost when senior Joe Lyall (Levittown, PA/Harry Truman) returned to the lineup after suffering a broken foot just two weeks ago, jumped on starter Pete Kehoe for a pair of runs in the first. With one out, the eventual hero of game two, Mike Weckenman singled. Lyall also followed with a single and moved to second as Weckenman took third. After a much-needed strikout, Jeff Roma followed with a big two-out double to plate a pair of runs.
The Rams scored their only runs in the third off Matt Powell (6-5). A one-out error was followed by back-to-back singles scoring a run. following a groundout that advanced runners to second and third, another single scored one run and a wild pitch scored the third run. All runs in the inning were unearned as Powell shut the Rams offense down for the remainder of the game.
Trailing by one entering the seventh, Sam Sabolchick got the Owls going with a single. But, after Al Roach (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) struck out, Sabolchick was thrown out stealing and the Owls were down to their final out. Keith Ramsey (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Regional) kept the inning alive with a single. Gene Burpoe (Arlington, Va/Wakefield) was sent in to pinch run and Jerome Lopez (Laureldale,Pa/Muhlenberg) singled Burpoe to second. Chris Fisher replaced Kehoe on the mound and looked like he would get the save when he induced Fred Hilliard (Upper Darby, Pa/Upper Darby) to ground the ball to third. But an error loaded the bases setting the stage for Weckenman's heroics. The lanky freshman shorts top set the stage for Sunday's pivotal get-away game with a single to score the tying and game-winning runs. Weckenman now has 17 runs batted in with runners in scoring position and two outs.
Powell then set the side down in order to pick up his sixth win of the season.
