Temple University Athletics
Owls Take Advantage Of La Salle Miscues To Even Series
3.31.07 | Baseball
March 31, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - Junior Devon Swope scored the go-ahead run in the tenth inning on a wild pitch and Temple evened the Atlantic 10 series with a 4-2 win over La Salle on Saturday at Hank DeVincent Field. The Owls took advantage of Explorer miscues to score all four of their runs and snap a five-game losing streak to their city and conference rivals. Junior Tom Dolan was again magnificent, retiring 18 straight batters at one point, but received the no-decision after 8.1 innings and two earned runs.
After Temple worked out of a jam in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra frames, Swope led off the tenth with a single and moved to third on freshman Matt Heltz's single. Reliever Gerard Breslin then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Swope to race home with the go-ahead run. Heltz moved to second on the play, advanced to third on a passed ball and then scored on junior Stan Orzechowski's double-play groundout to give TU a 4-2 lead.
Freshman closer Matt Blackburn, who successfully pitched out of a first and second, one-out situation in the ninth, had to fight out of a jam in the tenth as well. A hit batsmen and a one-out single gave La Salle first and second, but Blackburn retired the next two batters on fly-outs to end the game. He picked up his first collegiate victory after throwing 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Dolan and Explorer starter Kenny Elkind were entrenched in a pitcher's dual for most of the contest. Each team got on the board early, but the middle innings belonged to the pitchers. Dolan retired 18 straight batters after a third inning single to Rich Prall and Elkind sat down 17 straight after a second inning single to sophomore Steve Mury. The only baserunner during that span was Temple junior Mike Kelch, who reached base on a wild pitch after striking out.
Elkind struck out a career-high 10 batters in seven innings. He did not allow an earned run and surrendered just three hits, but did not factor in the decision. Dolan scattered five hits and his miniscule ERA now stands at 1.91.
The Cherry and White (8-14, 2-3 A-10) used some help from La Salle to score its first two runs. After a fielder's choice by junior Ryan Weber and a single by sophomore Sean Barksdale in the first, the Owls had first and third with two outs. Barksdale then stole second and Weber scored after the throw sailed into centerfield to give TU an early 1-0 lead.
La Salle (8-13, 1-4 A-10) scored a pair in the second and owned the lead until Temple tied the score in the fourth. Kelch struck out but reached base on a wild pitch and made it all the way to third when the catcher's throw sailed into right field. He then scored on a senior Dan Brady sacrifice-fly.
Breslin (1-2) suffered the loss for the Explorers. He allowed one earned run in 1.2 innings. Prall and John Rickards each had a pair of hits for the hosts. Six different Owls had a single safety.
The two teams moved Sunday's finale to 10 AM in order to beat the forecasted inclement weather later in the day.
