Temple University Athletics
BASEBALL BATS GO SILENT AS RHODE ISLAND COMPLETES SERIES SWEEP
4.18.04 | Baseball
The Rams (19-13-1, 10-2) jumped on starter Tim Brown for two quick runs in the opening inning. With one out, a Wayne Russo single was followed by another single by Scott Brown. The Owls got a break when Russo was gunned out trying to reach third but could not take advantage of it as Dan Batz doubled to left center knocking in Brown and Batz scored on an RBI single by Mike Rainville.
Meanwhile, Temple (14-13, 4-5) did not get a hit off starter and winner Stephen Holmes (3-0) until the fourth inning when John Quigley reached on a single to center.
In the fifth, the Owls loaded the bases with no outs. Jason Connor was hit by a pitch and Pete Colon and Marc Wagner singled to load the bases. However, Holmes struck out Mike Weckenman and induced Mike Silverman, who came on for Freddy Hilliard in the second inning, to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
Chris Hamilton, who came on to pitch in the second inning for Temple, pitched four scoreless innings to keep the Owls in the game. He allowed just one hit during that stretch.
Temple finally got on the board in the seventh. Colon singled and stole second and came home on a two-out single by Justin Cooper, who hit ninth in the lineup for the first time this season.
The Rams came right back and erupted for four runs in the home seventh to take a 6-1 lead. Tim Foulkrod, who came on and pitched a scoreless sixth, walked leadoff hitter Adam Houston. Two singles later loaded the bases and Wayne Russo followed with a sacrifice fly that moved everybody up. Scott Brown then followed with a two-run double and finished out the scoring, trotting home on a double by Dan Batz off Owl reliever Josiah Platchek.
The Owls got a solo home run in the ninth off the bat of Mike Weckenman to finish out the scoring.
Temple will try to end a four-game losing streak when they take on the University of the Sciences at Temple's Ambler Field on Tuesday afternoon. Game time is 3:30 p.m.
