Temple University Athletics
Temple Knocks Off Defending Big East Champ Rutgers, 9-5
3.5.08 | Baseball
March 5, 2008
PISCATAWAY, NJ - Senior Mike Kelch blasted a three-run home run as part of a seven-run seventh inning to lead Temple to a 9-5 come-from-behind victory over the defending Big East champion Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Wednesday at Bainton Field. The victory snapped a 15-game losing streak against the Scarlet Knights and was the first win for TU in the series since April 14, 1991. Junior Sean Barksdale added three hits and drove in two for the Owls.
"I think our team has a lot of potential and we showed some of that today," Kelch said.
Trailing 4-0 after five innings, the Owls (3-4) plated a pair of runs in the sixth on a Barksdale double and a sophomore Matt Heltz groundout to make it 4-2. Rutgers added a run of its own in the bottom of the frame before Temple put together its best inning of the season in the seventh.
Ten straight batters reached base in the inning, with seven crossing the plate off three Scarlet Knight hurlers. Junior Mark Ortega walked and came around to score on a wild pitch for the first run of the inning and a bases-loaded walk to freshman Byron McKoy forced in another.
Barksdale knocked in a run on a fielder's choice and Heltz followed with a single to give the Owls their first lead of the game at 6-5. Kelch then launched his three-run home run over the 385 foot sign in left-center, his first of the season, to make the score 9-5.
"I got a good pitch and fortunately, the wind was blowing and it went out," Kelch said.
Temple went to the bullpen holding the four-run lead and the combination of freshmen Jordan Cannon, sophomore Ryan Thomas and senior Arshwin Asjes closed the door. Thomas came in with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, but forced a ground-out to Heltz at third to escape the jam.
Asjes struck out one batter in the eighth and after Barksdale's single led off the ninth, the game was called due to darkness. The victory was the first for Temple in Piscataway since a 5-2 victory on April 1, 1988.
Senior Matt Blackburn picked up the win in relief of senior Eric Fritz, who tossed five innings and allowed three earned runs. Blackburn improves to 1-0 on the season.
While the Owl defense was far from perfect on the day after committing three errors, Temple did throw out three runners from the outfield, including two at the plate. Barksdale threw a perfect one-hopper to the plate for the first out of the first inning and in the third, Ortega took the cut-off from McKoy in left and fired to junior catcher Kyle Obal for the second out of the third inning.
Ortega and Obal each added two base hits as part of a season high 13-hit attack.
Tom Edwards was 4-for-4 for Rutgers, while Vic Cegles, the son of the former Temple Associate AD by the same name, had two hits. Tony Wargo (0-1) suffered the loss for the Scarlet Knights.
The contest marked the return of third-year head coach Rob Valli to the "Banks of the Raritan", where he served as an assistant coach in 1999 and 2000, helping the Scarlet Knights to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.
Temple hosts Wagner on Friday in its home opener at Skip Wilson Field. First pitch is set for 2:30 PM. Cornell visits on Saturday followed by Hartford on Sunday. Live statistics will be available via Gametracker.
