Temple University Athletics
OWLS OUTLAST NAVY, 17-8, IN SLUGFEST AT ERNY FIELD
4.16.03 | Baseball
Temple starter Brian Ursone (Collingdale, Pa/Monsignor Bonnor) was touched up for a leadoff home run in the opening inning by Craig Candeto but breezed through the next three innings, allowing just one hit.
Meanwhile, the Owls tagged Navy starter and loser, Zach Poelma (1-1) for three unearned runs in the second. Al Roach (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) and Jason Connor (Norristown, Pa/Kennedy-Kenrick) reached on errors. Roach would score on a sacrifice fly by Mike Weckenman (Newtown, Pa/Council Rock) and Pete Colon (Birdsboro, PA/Daniel Boone) followed with a two-run homer to right, putting the Owls up 3-1.
The Owls would add three more in the home fourth. After Poelma retired the first two hitters, Colon was hit by a pitch. Catcher Mike Brown (Philadelphia, Pa/Chestnut Hill Academy) followed with a single and John Quigley (Bensalem, Pa/Bensalem) hit a towering two-run homer over the left-center field fence.
Ursone was having little difficulty with the Midshipment until he lost his control with two outs in the fifth. With two outs, Ursone walked the bases full and Craig Candeto hit his second home run of the day, a grand slam, to bring Navy to within 6-5. Chris Hamilton (Philadelphia, Pa/Cheltenham) came on in relief of Ursone to get the final out of the inning.
The Owls jumped on reliever Mitch Eliason for three more runs in the fifth. Two runs came off the bat of Al Roach on a two-run homer, his first of two home runs on the afternoon, while the final run of the inning scored on a Weckenman single.
Navy would get three back in the sixth, but reliever Tim Brown (Newtown Square, Pa/St. Joe Prep)would come in and get out of the inning with no further damage. Brown (1-0), who picked up his first win in an Owl uniform, would pitch the final three innings allowing just one hit while striking out three.
The Owls iced the game in the seventh, scoring six runs. The big hits in the inning were a two-run double by Connor and a two-run single off the bat of Weckenman.
The Owls get back to Atlantic 10 play on Friday with a big doubleheader scheduled at Erny Field at 12 Noon against St. Bonaventure.
