Temple University Athletics
OWLS ERUPT FOR 18 HITS IN 11-6 WIN OVER DAYTON TO COMPLETE WEEKEND SWEEP
4.6.03 | Baseball
The Owls (9-13, 3-3) won for the seventh consecutive time. The Owls took advantage of an error in the opening frame to take a 1-0 lead. Following the error, Rob Cucinotta (Drexel Hill, Pa/Monsignor Bonnor) singled and Jason Connor (Norristown, Pa/Kennedy Kendrick) doubled as the Owls got out of the gate early. It was the first time the Owls scored first in a game in four contests.
The score remained 1-0 through four innings. Mike Caron (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) came on in relief of starter Brian Ursone (Collingdale, Pa/Monsignor Bonnor)in the fourth inning and retired the first two batters in the fifth before the Flyers erupted for five runs. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases and Aaron Hepner and Joe McSoley singled. Jeff Bourassa reached on an error and Matt McCleskey singled in the final run of the inning.
But the Owls would answer that output with a seven spot of their own. Rob Cucinotta and Al Roach (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) hit back-to-back home runs to get things started. Four hits and four errors later and the Owls had plated seven runs for an 8-5 lead.
Meanwhile, Caron (2-3) kept the Dayton hitters off stride as the Owls added a run in the sixth and two more in the eighth for insurance. Temple had seven batters who had two or more hits, with Cucinotta and Fred Hilliard (Broomall, Pa/Upper Darby) leading the way with three hits apiece.
The win was the seventh in a row for Skip Wilson's club and brought them to 3-3 in Atlantic 10 Conference play. The win was also Wilson's 983rd of his career.
Weather permitting, the Owls will travel across the city to take on Penn on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.
