Temple University Athletics
Dayton, Snow Squalls Too Much For Owls In 6-3 Loss
4.6.07 | Baseball
April 6, 2007
DAYTON, OH - It is not often that a baseball game is delayed due to snow squalls, but that was the case twice in one inning on Friday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Stadium in Dayton. The Flyers were able to keep their bats warm on the brutally cold day and took game one of the Atlantic 10 series, 6-3, over Temple. Freshman Matt Heltz had a pair of hits and drove in a run for the Owls.
With temperatures in the low 30s and wind chills making it feel even colder, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the 70-degree that the team enjoyed on Tuesday at Lehigh. The game was delayed twice due to snow in the seventh, once for 15 minutes in the top of the inning and again for 70 minutes in the bottom half. The longer delay came two batters after Dayton's Jeff Mercer launched a two-run homer that gave the hosts a 6-3 cushion.
UD got on the board first with a single run in the second inning off sophomore starter Matt Mongiardini. The Flyers added to their lead with two more runs in the third to take a 3-0 lead, but the Owls answered back in their next at-bat.
Senior Dan Brady reached on an infield single and sophomore Sean Barksdale was hit by a pitch to start the inning. After a strikeout, junior Devon Swope singled to load the bases with no outs. Heltz followed with a single to plate Brady and sophomore Kyle Obal lofted a fly ball that scored Barksdale to cut the deficit to 3-2, but Swope was doubled off first to end the rally.
Michael Massa led off the fifth with a solo homer to put UD up 4-2, but the Owls drew within one in the seventh. Obal walked to open the inning and after a quick snow-delay, junior Stan Orzechowski reached on a bunt single. After a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Jamie Abercrombie, junior Ryan Weber's ground-out to second scored Obal.
Mercer's two-run blast proved to be the backbreaker and Temple managed just one base-runner, a Heltz single in the ninth, the rest of the way.
Mongiardini (2-4) suffered the loss after allowing five earned runs in 6.1 innings. Freshman Richie Gargel threw 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, striking out three.
Chris Rubio (4-4) picked up the win for Dayton, striking out six in six innings. He allowed three earned runs. Alex Dye earned the save, his second, after throwing three shutout innings.
Heltz was the only Owl with multiple hits. All but two starters had a single, though, for the Cherry and White (8-17, 2-5 A-10).
Mercer was 2-for-2 with three RBI to pace Dayton (12-16, 3-4 A-10).
The series resumes on Saturday at 1 PM.
