Temple University Athletics
VILLANOVA OVERCOMES FIVE-RUN FIRST TO DEFEAT TEMPLE 11-9
3.24.04 | Baseball
The Owls (6-7), who were held under 10 runs for the first time in five games, were led by Mike Weckenman who had two hits. Al Roach, Jason Connor and pinch hitter Jason Adamek each drove in a pair of runs.
Temple jumped on Wildcat starter Bill Hoffman for five runs in the opening frame. Justin Cooper led off the game with a double down the left field line and Weckenman followed with a single, moving Cooper to third. After John Quigley was hit by a pitch, left fielder Al Roach singled in two runs. Jason Connor knocked in the third run of the inning on a ground out and a single by Freddy Hilliard and a double by Gene Burpoe, his first hit of the season, finished off the scoring.
Meanwhile, Temple starter Tim Foulkrod (1-2) retired the Wildcats in order in the first but was the victim of an unfortunate error in the second, opening up the door for the home team to score three unearned runs. With one out and one on, Adrian Schau hit what looked like a single up the middle. Shortstop Jason Connor made a diving stab and looked like he had Schau easily at first. However, first baseman Freddy Hilliard tripped at first as a perfect throw went beyond first base opening up the flood gates.
Villanova would tag one two more runs in the third to knot the score at five all.
Another fielding error in the home fourth would put Villanova in the lead for good. The Wildcats would add four more runs off Owl reliever Eric Lovelace in the fifth to take a 10-5 advantage.
The Owls could muster little against Wildcat relievers Ted Aust (2-0) and Joe McCoy. The two combined to no-hit the Owls from the first inning until the final frame when the Owls made it close.
In the Owls final at-bat, Weckenman led off the eighth with a single. Following a walk to Roach, Pete Colon singled to load the bases. A walk to Hilliard forced in a run and pinch hitter Jason Adamek rounded out the scoring with a two-run single.
The Owls are scheduled to open their new ballpark up at Temple's Ambler Field tomorrow afternoon, weather permitting, against the University of the Sciences. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
