Temple University Athletics
FORDHAM STRIKES OUT TEMPLE IN DOUBLHEADER SWEEP
4.9.06 | Baseball
BRONX, NY -- A pair of Fordham pitchers combined to set a school record with 19 strikeouts in the opener and the Rams scored early and often in the nightcap to sweep an Atlantic 10 doubleheader from Temple on Sunday at Houlihan Park. Fordham, who moved into first place with the sweep, took game one by a 2-0 score and game two, 6-2. Sophomore Frank Nunan had three hits on the day to pace Temple.
The Owls made Fordham (16-15, 8-1 A-10) starter Javier Martinez look more like Pedro Martinez on this day in the Bronx. The junior fanned a career-high 14 batters, including eight straight at one point, and allowed just three hits in seven shutout innings to pick up the win. The 14 strikeouts are the most by a Fordham pitcher 1956. Things didn't get any easier for TU once James Sammut entered the game. He struck out five batters in two innings to record the save.
Temple's offensive woes wasted another strong performance from sophomore Arshwin Asjes. He suffered the loss, despite allowing four hits and two earned runs over seven innings. Fordham scored both runs in the sixth inning, but the Owls could have been out of trouble earlier but a failed double-play left the door open for the Rams. They scored two runs on a two-out single by Brian Keeney to take the 2-0 advantage.
The Cherry and White had its best chances to score in the sixth and eighth innings. A two-out single by Nunan and walk to junior Dan Brady gave Temple first and third, but the visitors couldn't push a run across. The story was similar in the eighth as freshman Jamie Abercrombie and Nunan singled with two away. Sammut then picked up a big strikeout to end the inning and preserve the lead.
Abercrombie and Nunan both had a pair of hits for Temple in the opener.
In the nightcap, Fordham scored three runs in both the first and second innings and held on for a 6-2 victory. Sophomore starter Tom Dolan never got on track and took the loss, giving up six earned runs in two innings. Senior Justin Mendek had his best outing of the season, throwing six shutout innings of one-hit ball.
The Owls scored once in the third and fourth innings. In the third, sophomore Robbie DeRafelo reached base on an error, moved to third on a sophomore Devon Swope double and scored on an Abercrombie ground-out. Temple added another in the fourth as Brady doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a double-play.
Temple (7-22, 1-8) had just one hit the rest of the way and did not advance a runner past first base. Brady had two of TU's six hits.
Tom Davis picked up the win for Fordham, throwing seven innings and allowing one earned run. Keeney had three hits and three RBI on offense.
Temple, which has lost seven straight games in the A-10 and 14 of its last 16 overall, visits Delaware on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
