Temple University Athletics
Temple Falls To Old Dominion, 12-3
2.29.08 | Baseball
Feb. 29, 2008
NORFOLK, VA - Junior Mark Ortega's two-run homerun in the third was the only offense Temple could muster against All-America candidate Dan Hudson in a 12-3 loss at Old Dominion on Friday. Senior Mike Kelch added an RBI single in the eighth to complete the scoring for the Owls.
Ortega slammed his first collegiate long-ball deep to left following a junior Carmen Del Mastro single to make it 3-2. The Cherry and White managed just two more hits off Hudson, a first inning single by junior Sean Barksdale and a second inning single by sophomore Matt Heltz.
An all-CAA selection a year ago, Hudson (1-1) struck out seven batters in six innings for the victory. He kept the Owls (1-3) off balance with a good fastball and hard-biting slider and did not allow a runner past first after Ortega's dinger.
Temple faced a stiff test against the Monarchs, who were ranked #25 nationally by Baseball America to start the season. After splitting a doubleheader with Rutgers on Sunday, ODU upset #2 North Carolina, 8-6, on Tuesday.
Old Dominion (3-2) recorded 12 hits off four pitchers and took advantage of seven walks and two hit batsmen. The Monarchs were led by Jimmy Miles, who was a homerun short of a cycle with a 3-for-4 performance and Chris Buss (two hits, three RBI).
Senior Tom Dolan suffered the loss after allowing four earned runs in four innings. He drops to 0-2.
The two teams will resume the series on Saturday. Temple's Matt Mongiardini will take on ODU All-American Anthony Shawler beginning at 1 PM.
NOTES: Four Owls made their first collegiate appearances in the game - Rafael Cordero, Ben Flanary, Steve Nikorak, and Ben White...The two teams had met only twice before today's game, in 1968 and 1994, spitting the two meetings.
