Temple University Athletics
Owls Move Into First Place In A-10 After Sweeping Duquesne
4.20.08 | Baseball
April 20, 2008
AMBLER, PA - Freshman Byron McKoy had a career-high four hits as Temple completed a series sweep of Duquesne on Sunday with a 9-7 win at Skip Wilson Field. The victory, combined with a Charlotte loss, moves the Owls into a first place tie with the 49ers with identical 11-4 league records. The Cherry and White (20-17 overall) have now reached the 20-win plateau faster than any team since 1996 squad did it in 35 games.
Temple managed to remain composed after a scary scene in the bottom of the first. Senior Mike Kelch fouled a pitch off his face and was carted off the field in an ambulance. The injury was season-ending, head coach Rob Valli said.
Now playing without three regular starters due to injury, the Owls continued to chip away against the Dukes, who entered the weekend in first place. TU scored in seven different innings, including five straight at one point, and scored its first three runs on outs.
Junior Sean Barksdale gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the first with a sacrifice fly after singles by McKoy and junior Jamie Abercrombie led off the inning. Sophomore Matt Heltz then had a hit for the sixth straight at-bat over two days and junior Lenny DelGrippo, pinch hitting for Kelch, had an RBI groundout to make it 2-0.
Barksdale again drove in McKoy in the third on a groundout and in the fourth, junior Mark Ortega doubled, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-2.
Duquesne got as close as 4-3 with a run in the fifth, but freshman Rafael Cordero picked an opportune time for his first collegiate hit, lining a two-run double down the leftfield line to provide Temple with a 6-3 lead.
McKoy's RBI single in the sixth and Ortega's two-run home run in the seventh provided some insurance.
It proved to be needed as the Dukes rallied for three runs in the ninth. A two-out inning kept the rally alive and a seemingly benign fly-ball to right turned into an adventure when Barksdale lost his footing. He recovered in time to make the catch, albeit from his knees, to end the game and finish off the series sweep.
Freshman Ben White, making his first conference start, picked up the win to improve to 2-2. He threw a career high 6.1 innings, allowing four hits, four runs (three earned) and striking out five.
Senior Eric Fritz earned his second save of the week by pitching the final inning without allowing a run.
McKoy had his third four-hit game of the season and batted .563 (9-for-16) during the three game series. He now leads the team with a .341 batting average and nine doubles.
Abercrombie and Ortega each had two hits for Temple, which swept a series at home for the first time since 2005 (St. Bonaventure, May 13-14). It marked the first time since 2001 that the Owls have swept two series in a season and the first ever sweep of Duquesne.
Derek Mechling had two hits and knocked in three for Duquesne (15-20, 10-5), who moved into a tie for third with Xavier. Gary Pierpont (0-3) suffered the loss after allowing six earned runs in five innings.
Temple has now won four straight games and five of its last six. The Owls are 6-2 after eight games in a program-record 12-game homestand.
The Cherry and White return to the diamond on Tuesday when it hosts Villanova at 3 PM.
