Temple University Athletics
Owls Hold On For 10-7 Victory At UMES
3.11.08 | Baseball
March 11, 2008
PRINCESS ANNE, MD - Temple jumped out to a nine-run advantage after seven innings and held on to a 10-7 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Tuesday afternoon at Hawks Stadium. Senior Stan Orzechowski homered twice and drove in four runs to lead the Owls to a season-high 10 runs. Junior RHP Matt Mongiardini was efficient in improving to 2-0 and did not allow an earned run in five innings.
The Cherry and White (4-5) scored in all but two innings and tied a season-high with 13 hits. The three home runs, including a three-run first-inning blast by senior Mike Kelch, were the first hit in 10 games this season at Hawks Stadium.
Orzechowski looked like the All-Philadelphia Big 5 outfielder from a year ago and was one of four Owls with multiple hits. Junior Jamie Abercrombie also had three base knocks, while Kelch and junior Mark Ortega added two each.
Mongiardini needed just 53 pitches for his five innings of work and struck out four batters. He was making his first mid-week of his career and surrendered only two hits and did not walk a batter. The junior right-hander lowered his ERA to a team-best 1.50.
Freshmen Ben White and Jordan Cannon added two scoreless innings out of the pen, but UMES made some noise in the eighth. The Hawks took advantage of two TU errors and added three unearned runs to make it 10-4.
UMES (0-13) plated three more runs in the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate, but sophomore Mike Click induced a double-play groundball to end the game.
Following Kelch's long-ball in the first, Orzechowski made it 5-1 with a two-run single in the second and Temple added another run in the frame on an error. Abercrombie knocked in a run in the fourth on a single and Ortega drove in Kelch in the fifth. Orzechowski then added solo blasts in the sixth and eighth to complete the scoring for the visitors.
Pat Hercinger had two hits and drove in four for Maryland Eastern Shore. Matt Witte (0-2) allowed nine earned runs in 7.2 innings to suffer the loss.
The Owls return to action on Wednesday when it visits Delaware State. Senior Eric Fritz will start for TU.
