Temple University Athletics
STRONG PITCHING EFFORT BY ERIC LOVELACE PROPELS OWLS TO 9-4 WIN OVER SACRED HEART
3.11.04 | Baseball
With the victory, head coach Skip Wilson now moves to within two wins of the 1,000 win plateau in his 45-year career.
Temple (4-4) received a solid performance from Lovelace (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks East) after suffering through three straight games when the Owls pitching staff let up double-digit runs. The lanky right hander pitched into the eighth inning giving up just five hits and four runs, although only one run was earned.
Sacred Heart (0-10) had taken a 4-1 lead into the sixth inning and starter Chuck Ristano was in command until the Owls used the long ball to tie the score. With one out, Mike Weckenman (Newtown, PA/Council Rock) and John Quigley (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem) hit back-to-back doubles. Pete Colon (Birdsboro, PA/Daniel Boone) tied the score with a two-run homer.
Meanwhile, Lovelace (1-0) retired eight straight batters until a two-out single by Curtis Lewsey in the seventh. The Owls then started their game-winning uprising in the eighth with one out. Weckenman was hit by a pitch and Quigley, who had three hits, singled Weckenman to third. After Colon was hit by a pitch to load the bases, shortstop Jason Connor (Norristown, PA/Kennedy-Kenrick) cleared the bases with a double to the wall in left center. Connor would later come around to score on an error to close out the scoring.
Weckenman would come on in relief of Lovelace in the eighth and retire the side without any scoring. The third baseman, appearing for the first time on the mound in an Owl uniform, would load the bases in the ninth but struck out center fielder Dan Kaloyandes to end the game.
The Owls will take on Evansville Friday night at the Papa John Homestead Challenge at 7:00 p.m. Temple will try to get some revenge on the Purple Aces, who defeated the Owls, 26-10, earlier in the week.
