Temple University Athletics
OWLS AND HAWKS SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER
4.13.03 | Baseball
Temple won the first game, 8-3, behind the pitching of Mike Caron (Yardley, Pa/Pennsbury) while Saint Joseph's got strong relief pitching by Al Braun (1-0) to take the nightcap.
In the opener, the Owls (11-13, 5-3) got off to a quick start. John Quigley (Bensalem, Pa/Bensalem) walked to lead off the game and moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt. Gene Burpoe (Arlington, Va/Wakefield) singled in Quigley with the first run of the game. Following a Rob Cucinotta (Drexel Hill, Pa/Monsignor Bonnor) single, Jason Connor (Norristown, Pa/Kennedy Kendrick) and Jeff Roma (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) followed with run producing singles. The final run scored on another error on a Pete Colon (Birdsboro, Pa/Daniel Boone) grounder.
Saint Joseph's (8-18, 4-7) got two runs back in the bottom of the first. Following an infield error, Bill McCollum singled and Mike Walls followed with a run scoring double. The Hawks second run scored on a sacrifice fly by John Kokol.
Starter Mike Caron (Yardley, Pa/Pennsbury) would settle in and work his way out of trouble in the second and fourth innings while the Owls extended their lead to 6-2 with a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Mike Weckenman (Newtown, Pa/Council Rock) and an RBI ground out by Roma in the fifth. The groundout plated Cucinotta who led off the fifth with his 200th career hit, a single up the middle. The senior first baseman became only the third Owl to reach 200 hits in his career. The others were Tom Whalen (228) and Bobby Filler (234).
The Owls completed their scoring in the sixth on a solo home run by Quigley, his second in as many games since his return to the lineup, and a single by Cucinotta followed by an errant throw.
In the nightcap, the Hawks (9-18, 5-7) jumped on Owl starter Justin Mendek (Blackwood, Nj/Gloucester) and reliever Brian Urosne (Collingdale, Pa/Monsignor Bonnor) for six runs in the first. After striking out the leadoff batter, Mendek (1-2) was touched up for three hits while walking two batters. After an infield error, Ursone came on in relief and just didn't couldn't find the plate. Three consecutive walks later and he was relieved by Tim Foulkrod (Cheltenham, Pa/Cheltenham). The freshman right hander retired the final two batters to end the threat and leave the bases loaded.
The Owls (11-14, 5-4) put together a comeback effort in the third. Following a walk to Burpoe, Cucinotta and Roach hit back-to-back homers to bring the Owls to within 6-3. They would add another run in the inning on a Mike Weckenman single but the inning ended with Pete Colon being thrown out at the plate.
Meanwhile, Foulkrod pitched well in relief until the fifth inning. After a one-out walk, sophomore Mike Kurtz (Richboro, Pa/Archbishop Wood) came on in relief. He was touched up for a two-run home run off the bat of Bill McCollum as Saint Joseph's extended its lead to 10-4.
The Owls return to the diamond on Tuesday when they take on Rider in Lawrenceville, New Jersey at 3:00 p.m.
