Temple University Athletics
Dolan And Temple Offense Power Owls To Sweep Of Dayton
4.8.07 | Baseball
April 8, 2007
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
DAYTON, OH - Junior Tom Dolan struck out a career-high 16 batters over eight innings in the opener and the Temple offense exploded for 12 runs in the nightcap as the Owls swept Dayton on Sunday at Time Warner Cable Stadium. Dolan (4-2) allowed just one earned run in a 6-5 game one victory, while TU scored 10 runs in its first two at-bats in a 12-6 game two win. Junior Mike Kelch had five hits, including a homerun, and knocked in four runs.
The frigid weather, with temperatures hovering around the freezing mark, did not seem to bother Dolan at all. The southpaw had a no-hitter through 6.1 innings, before a Jeff Mercer wind-aided homerun broke up not only the no-no, but also the shutout. Besides the homerun, he did not allow a runner past first base and his 16 strikeouts are the most in the Atlantic 10 this season.
"I had a lot of movement on my fastball," Dolan said. "I really only threw two change-ups so it was mostly fastball-slider all day."
Dolan, who never struck out 16 batters in a game at any level, was not affected by the chill. "Once I got warmed up, I didn't really think about it," he said.
The junior has thrown at least eight innings in his past four weekend starts and allowed just four earned runs over his past 36 innings (1.00 ERA). He left the lead after eight with a 6-1 advantage that proved to be just enough of a cushion. He is now 4-2 with a 1.80 ERA this season.
"Tommy was baffling hitters out there today," head coach Rob Valli said.
Dayton scored four runs in the ninth off a pair of Owl relievers to make things interesting in its final at-bat. Junior shortstop-turned-closer Ryan Weber picked up his first collegiate save and stranded the tying run at third base.
Temple got on the board in the first on a RBI double by sophomore Sean Barksdale and added two more in the third on a two-run single by Weber. The Owls continued to add to the advantage, scoring single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
A freshman Matt Heltz single plated junior Devon Swope, who had doubled to lead off the fourth. In the fifth, Kelch belted his second homer of the year to chase UD starter Quinn Haselhorst (1-2). The Owls added what turned out to be an important insurance run in the sixth when sophomore Jamie Abercrombie singled, stole second, moved to third on bunt and scored on a passed ball.
Kelch had three hits in the opener to lead Temple, while junior Stan Orzechowski and Heltz each had a pair of safeties.
Temple jumped all over the Flyers (12-18, 3-6 A-10) in the nightcap, scoring five runs in each of the first two innings. Kelch singled home Orzechowski, who singled to open the game, and Barksdale's three-run homerun cleared the bases to put the Owls up 4-0. Abercrombie followed a few batters later with a sacrifice fly to score senior Dan Brady, who doubled following Barksdale's dinger.
The second frame started in similar fashion with the first three Owls reaching base. Heltz, Orzechowski and Weber loaded the bases for Kelch, who grounded to short to plate a run. After a pop-up for the second out, Brady laced a two-run single up the middle. A Swope single put runners on the corners for Abercrombie, who singled in Brady for a 9-0 lead. Swope then scored on a passed ball for the fifth run of the frame.
Leading 10-2 in the eighth, the Owls added a pair of runs on groundouts by Weber and Kelch.
Junior Arshwin Asjes was in control on the mound for Temple, allowing just an earned run through his first five innings. The Flyers touched him up for two in the sixth, including Mercer's third homerun of the series, and three in the eighth (two unearned). He did record his first victory of the season and improves to 1-2.
Freshman Richie Gargel pitched the final 1.2 innings without allowing a run for TU.
Brady (two RBI) and Orzechowski each had three hits, including a double in the night-cap, while Kelch and Barksdale both drove in three runs.
With two wins, Temple (10-17) improves to 4-5 in the Atlantic 10 and vaults into a three-way tie for sixth place. The top six teams at the end of the season qualify for the conference tournament in Dayton.
The Owls host Villanova on Tuesday at 3:30 PM in a recently added game.
