Temple University Athletics
CHRIS KURTZ GIVES OWLS LIFT WITH 8-2 COMPLETE GAME VICTORY OVER MASSACHUSETTS
5.9.04 | Baseball
AMHERST, MA -- Temple received a much-needed complete game pitching effort from junior Chris Kurtz to salvage the final game of the weekend series as the Owls stayed in the Atlantic 10 Conference playoff race with an 8-2 win following a two and one-half hour rain delay.
Kurtz (6-2) kept the Minutemen off stride most of the day, allowing just single runs in the second and third innings. The lanky right hander allowed nine hits in going the distance for the fifth time this season.
Temple (19-22, 7-11) jumped on Minutemen starter Keith Doherty with two outs in the opening frame. After reaching on a walk, Mike Weckenman stole second and came home on an RBI single by Al Roach. Following a wild pitch, Roach scored on a single by Pete Colon. John Quigley then hit his fourth home run of the season and third in four games to give the Owls a 4-0 lead. The home run by Quigley tied him for fifth place on the Temple all-time home run list. The centerfielder is now tied with Doug Kepple who hit 24 round-trippers as an Owl.
Massachusetts (16-22, 8-10) scored single runs in the second and third to cut the deficit to 4-2. In the second, Curt Szado opened the framed by getting hit by a pitch by Kurtz. Jason Twomley singled and both moved up on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Michael Weiner. Derrick Durepo then plated Szado with a sacrifice fly. Kurtz, after walking the next to batters to load the bases, got out of any further trouble by getting Cullan Maumus on a fly out to right.
In the home third, Matt Reynolds singled and went to second on a wild pitch. He would come around to score on a Szado double.
Although the Owls got a run across in the fifth on Justin Cooper's first home run as an Owl, Temple lost opportunities to break the game open by failing to score with runners on base in the fourth , fifth and sixth innings. In the fourth, the Owls had second and third with one out, but catcher Mike Brown popped out into a double play in an attempted suicide squeeze. In the fifth following the leadoff homer by Cooper, the Owls loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit only to see the bases left loaded as Doherty retired Freddy Hilliard on a fly to left. With one out in the sixth, Brown singled and Cooper walked. Mike Crane came on in relief and after a fielder's choice, Crane intentionally walked Quigley but struck out Jason Connor to end the inning.
The Owls finally took advantage of an infield error and four walks to break the game open in the visitors seventh. Roach reached on an error and Colon singled. The Minutemen brought in Scott Ratliff in relief and he proceeded to walk pinch hitter Mike Silverman and Brown as one run scored. Devin Barnett came on and walked Cooper and Weckenman to plate a pair of runs. Jason Hickey relieved Barnett and struck out Connor to end the inning.
Temple will travel up Interstate 95 on Tuesday afternoon to take on Rider at 3:30 p.m. and the two teams will meet again on Wednesday at Temple's Ambler Field at 3:00 p.m.
Kurtz (6-2) kept the Minutemen off stride most of the day, allowing just single runs in the second and third innings. The lanky right hander allowed nine hits in going the distance for the fifth time this season.
Temple (19-22, 7-11) jumped on Minutemen starter Keith Doherty with two outs in the opening frame. After reaching on a walk, Mike Weckenman stole second and came home on an RBI single by Al Roach. Following a wild pitch, Roach scored on a single by Pete Colon. John Quigley then hit his fourth home run of the season and third in four games to give the Owls a 4-0 lead. The home run by Quigley tied him for fifth place on the Temple all-time home run list. The centerfielder is now tied with Doug Kepple who hit 24 round-trippers as an Owl.
Massachusetts (16-22, 8-10) scored single runs in the second and third to cut the deficit to 4-2. In the second, Curt Szado opened the framed by getting hit by a pitch by Kurtz. Jason Twomley singled and both moved up on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Michael Weiner. Derrick Durepo then plated Szado with a sacrifice fly. Kurtz, after walking the next to batters to load the bases, got out of any further trouble by getting Cullan Maumus on a fly out to right.
In the home third, Matt Reynolds singled and went to second on a wild pitch. He would come around to score on a Szado double.
Although the Owls got a run across in the fifth on Justin Cooper's first home run as an Owl, Temple lost opportunities to break the game open by failing to score with runners on base in the fourth , fifth and sixth innings. In the fourth, the Owls had second and third with one out, but catcher Mike Brown popped out into a double play in an attempted suicide squeeze. In the fifth following the leadoff homer by Cooper, the Owls loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit only to see the bases left loaded as Doherty retired Freddy Hilliard on a fly to left. With one out in the sixth, Brown singled and Cooper walked. Mike Crane came on in relief and after a fielder's choice, Crane intentionally walked Quigley but struck out Jason Connor to end the inning.
The Owls finally took advantage of an infield error and four walks to break the game open in the visitors seventh. Roach reached on an error and Colon singled. The Minutemen brought in Scott Ratliff in relief and he proceeded to walk pinch hitter Mike Silverman and Brown as one run scored. Devin Barnett came on and walked Cooper and Weckenman to plate a pair of runs. Jason Hickey relieved Barnett and struck out Connor to end the inning.
Temple will travel up Interstate 95 on Tuesday afternoon to take on Rider at 3:30 p.m. and the two teams will meet again on Wednesday at Temple's Ambler Field at 3:00 p.m.
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