Temple University Athletics
BONNIES TAKE GETAWAY GAME WITH TWO RUNS IN THE NINTH INNING
4.20.03 | Baseball
After three scoreless innings, the Bonnies finally got the first run of the game in the visitors fourth. Temple starter Justin Mendek (Blackwood, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) walked leadoff batter Matt Agostonelli. Following a groundout that moved the runner to second, Eric Wilson singled to right putting runners at the corner. Left fielder Dan Bratys then followed with an RBI single. Mendek, who gave head coach Skip Wilson a solid sixth-plus innings, got out of further damage by striking out Josh Paine to end the inning.
Temple would get that run back in the bottom of the inning. First baseman Rob Cucinotta (Drexel Hill, Pa/Monsignor Bonnor) led off the inning with a towering home run to left field. The Owls would load the bases on two walks and a single by Jason Connor (Norristown, PA/Kennedy Kendrick), but Bonnies starter Matt Gunesch worked his way out of the jam without any further damage.
The Owls (13-17, 6-6) used the long ball in the fifth to take their first lead of the game. Catcher Mike Brown (Philadelphia, Pa/Chestnut Hill Academy) hit his first home run in an Owl uniform to left field for a 2-1 lead.
The Bonnies (17-11-1, 6-5) would tie things up in the seventh. Craig King and Kevin Ryan led off with singles putting runners at the corner with nobody out. Chris Kurtz (Richboro, Pa/Archbishop Wood) came on in relief of Mendek and got desginated hitter Matt Agostonelli to ground into a double play while the tying run scored. Kurtz (4-1) then struck out Mike Rapacioli to end the inning.
The game remained tied until the ninth inning. Kurtz easily deposed of the first two batters in the ninth and then dramatically, Craig King hit a long home run to left center giving the Bonnies a 3-2 lead. They weren't done, as Kevin Ryan walked and the pitcher, Soren Johnson, who hadn't batted all season, walked to keep the rally alive. Mike Rapacioli followed with a big two-out single to plate Ryan with the second run of the inning, giving the Bonnies a 4-2 lead.
The Owls tried to get something going in the bottom of the inning. Second baseman Fred Hilliard (Broomall, Pa/Upper Darby) was hit by a pitch by winning pitcher Soren Johnson (3-2). But the threat ended their, as Johnson retired the next three batters, handing the Owls their second loss of the season at home and second of the three-game series.
The Owls head back to the diamond on Tuesday when they visit Villanova at 3:30 p.m.
