Temple University Athletics
LATE INNING ERUPTION LIFTS BASEBALL TO A 12-8 WIN OVER TOWSON
4.6.04 | Baseball
The Owls, who were out-hit for the first time in seven games, got a total of eight hits, but seven of them were for extra bases. Shortstop Jason Connor had three hits along with four RBI's while right fielder Al Roach had two hits, including his fourth home run of the season.
However, the Owls bats were silenced for seven innings before the visitors erupted like a Hawaiian volcano.
Towson (10-15) took an 6-3 lead into the home seventh and added two more runs in the seventh on the strength of a two-run home run off the bat of center fielder Jeremy Stifler.
The Owls (13-7) got some help in the way of back-to-back walks to open the eighth. Towson brought in Steve Swiech (0-1), the eventual loser, and he looked like he would escape the inning by retiring the next two batters. However, pitching wildness would lead to a hit batter and a walk to make the score 8-4. Then, with one swing of the bat, Hilliard deposited a Swiech pitch over the left field fence to tie the score. It was Hilliard's first home run of the season.
Justin Mendek (2-0) came on in the eighth and retired the Tigers without a run. The winning rally was fueled by back-to-back doubles by Temple's Jason Adamek and John Quigley which quickly put the Owls up by a run in the ninth. Following another Towson pitching change, Al Roach singled to score Quigley and Connor homered to close out the scoring. It was Connor's sixth home run on the season and increased his team-leading RBI total to 40.
The Owls head right back to the diamond tomorrow when they travel down to Newark, Delaware, to take on the Fightin' Blue Hens. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.
