Temple University Athletics
Owls Tame Leopards, 6-4, In Mid-Week Action
5.1.07 | Baseball
May 1, 2007
Box Score | Coach Valli Audio | Coyle Audio
AMBLER, PA - Four Temple pitchers held Patriot League regular season champion Lafayette to just five hits to defeat the Leopards, 6-4, on Tuesday at Skip Wilson Field. Sophomores Jamie Abercrombie and Carmen Del Mastro each had three hits, while classmate John Coyle earned the win in his first collegiate start with three no-hit innings.
Coyle, a converted catcher, did not allow a base-hit in three shutout innings to improve to 1-0. He did walk three batters in the third, but recorded a ground-out to escape the bases-loaded jam. The Leopards (28-15), did not get in the hit column until a bunt-single by Tyler Zeronda with two outs in the fifth. Freshman Kyle Monahan pitched three scoreless innings of relief and fellow rookie Matt Blackburn earned his second save by pitching the ninth.
"It was nice to get out there and get a shot to pitch," Coyle said. "Coach Gordon called a good game and it made things easy for me."
The Leopards were clearly the favorite coming into the mid-week game and are receiving votes in the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) national poll. They clinched the Patriot League regular season title with a 17-3 record and will host the conference tournament in two weeks.
Temple was hardly faced by the impressive credentials from its rival from the Lehigh Valley. The hosts led 4-0 after two innings and added a pair of insurance runs late. A sacrifice-fly by sophomore Sean Barksdale scored junior Stan Orzechowski, who doubled to deep-center to lead off the game. Freshman Matt Heltz walked with the bases loaded for the second run and junior Mike Kelch, who singled earlier in the frame, scored on a wild pitch.
A run-scoring double by junior Ryan Weber (two hits), scored Del Mastro, who singled, in the second.
The Cherry and White (16-26) added another run in the sixth on a RBI-single by sophomore Kyle Obal and Del Mastro's bunt in the eighth scored Abercrombie.
The extra cushion turned out to be helpful after Lafayette scored four runs over its final three at-bats, including a pair of unearned runs in the seventh. Mike Raible had two hits to lead the Leopard offense. Mike LeClerc-Spier (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing four earned runs in 2.1 innings.
The Owls, who had won four of their last six games, travel to George Mason (23-21) tomorrow in another mid-week affair. First pitch is set for 3:00 PM.
