Temple University Athletics
Temple Beats Local Rival Villanova, 14-8, In Mid-Week Finale
5.13.08 | Baseball
May 13, 2008
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA - Temple outscored Villanova 13-1 over the final four innings and beat its Philadelphia Big 5 rival, 14-8, in its final non-conference game of the season on Tuesday at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. A total of 11 of the Owls' runs were unearned in the marathon contest, which took nearly four hours and included a total of 37 players, including 13 pitchers.
Junior Sean Barksdale continued his hot hitting, going 4-for-5 with four RBI. He has raised his average over .300 for the first time this season and is now batting .302. With two eighth inning stolen bases, Barksdale now has 25 on the season, good for sixth on the Temple single season list. His RBI total increased to 42 this spring and he now has 101 in two seasons, the second most by an Owl in a two-year span. John Marzano drove in 107 in 1983 and 1984.
Trailing 6-1 after five innings, the Owls (24-26) exploded for nine unearned runs in the sixth to take the lead for good. A one-out error by Villanova was followed up by a strikeout, but the Cherry and White had its next nine players reach base on four hits, four walks, and another error. The last batter of the inning, junior Kyle Obal had a two-run single, but inning finally ended when sophomore Matt Heltz was thrown out at third to end the inning.
Junior Lenny DelGrippo had a two-run double in the inning and freshman Rafael Cordero also had a two-run single in the frame.
Temple added three runs in eighth to extend the lead to 13-7. Barksdale had a two-run single, stole second and third and scored when the throw sailed into left. A sacrifice fly by junior Jamie Abercrombie scored Cordero for the 14th and final run in the ninth.
Senior Eric Fritz made the final regular season start of his career, throwing two scoreless innings on a limited pitch count. Freshman Steve Nikorak earned the victory, allowing an earned run in 1.2 innings. He improves to 2-3.
Freshman Jordan Cannon and sophomore Kyle Monahan each threw two scoreless innings of relief to finish the contest.
Kevin Crimmel (1-3) suffered the loss for Villanova after allowing seven runs (zero earned) in 1.2 innings. Dan Terpak had two hits and two RBI for the Wildcats (27-24).
Temple now has 24 wins this season, the most by the Owls since the 2001 campaign (27-31). TU picked up its 14th win in Atlantic 10 play on Sunday, which is also the most since 2001.
The Cherry and White visits Saint Louis in a three-game series beginning on Thursday at 8 PM (EDT). The Owls will return to the Atlantic 10 Tournament for the first time since 2002 with a win or a loss by George Washington and Fordham.
