Temple University Athletics
George Washington Takes Series Opener Over Temple
5.2.08 | Baseball
May 2, 2008
ARLINGTON, VA - A two-out, bases clearing triple by George Washington's Andrew Abokhair in the fifth inning broke open a close game and propelled the Colonials to a 13-2 victory over Temple in the series opener at Bancroft Park on Friday afternoon. Freshman Steve Nikorak had two doubles and junior Sean Barksdale had a pair of singles for the Owls.
The Cherry and White dropped its sixth straight game, and fourth straight in conference play, after managing just seven hits offensively and surrendering 13 earned runs. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth and tied at 2-2 until Abokhair's backbreaker in the fifth.
Junior starter Matt Mongiardini, who retired the first eight batters of the game, sandwiched a strikeout with a walk and hit by pitch to start the inning. He recorded the second out of the inning on a fly-out but walked Tim Reeves to load the bases. Abokhair then lined a 1-2 pitch to right field that cleared the bases and gave the hosts a 5-2 lead. GW would never look back adding another run in the fifth and seven in the seventh.
Ten batters reached base consecutively in the seventh for the Colonials, including four straight extra bases hits, three of which were doubles. Charlie Kruer, who finished the day with six RBI, hit his second home run of the afternoon, a three-run blast to right during the frame.
Temple scored its only two runs in the fifth. Nikorak doubled with one out and scored on senior Stan Orzechowski's double. Barksdale then followed with a two-out RBI single.
Pat Lehman (6-3) earned the complete-game victory for George Washington. He scattered seven hits over the nine innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out six.
Mongiardini (5-4) suffered the loss after surrendering six earned in five innings.
The series resumes on Saturday at 1 PM.
NOTES: Today's game was just the second time the Owls had lost when not making an error...Freshman Byron McKoy, who was on base twice on a walk and hit by pitch, had his 11-game with an 0-for-1 showing.
