Temple University Athletics
Temple Snaps Skid With 11-5 Victory At GW
5.3.08 | Baseball
May 3, 2008
ARLINGTON, VA - Senior Tom Dolan threw six scoreless innings of two-hit baseball and the Temple offense exploded for its most runs in exactly two weeks in a 11-5 victory at George Washington on Saturday at Bancroft Park. The win snapped a six-game losing streak and a four-game skid in Atlantic 10 play.
Dolan was spotted an 8-0 lead after the Owls (21-23, 12-8 A-10) sent 12 batters to the plate in an eight-run first inning. The eight runs were more than the team had scored in an entire game during its six-game losing streak.
After missing last weekend's scheduled start to give his arm some rest, Dolan (4-4) had his best start of the season. Following a hit by pitch to the first batter of the game, the southpaw retired the next 11 batters and did not allow a runner past first base during his six innings of work. He needed just 70 pitchers in arguably his best start since striking out 16 batters in eight innings (three hits, one earned run) at Dayton on April 8, 2007.
Senior Stan Orzechowski set the tone in the first inning with a pair of hits, including a two-out, three-run single that made it 7-0. He also scored the first run of the game when junior Kyle Obal's single to third was thrown away.
Junior Sean Barksdale had an RBI double early in the inning and classmate Carmen Del Mastro had a two-out, two-run single that preceded Orzechowski's second base-hit. Obal also added an RBI single to finish the scoring in the first.
Temple added a pair of unearned runs in the sixth. Junior Jamie Abercrombie walked, moved to second on Orzechowski's third hit of the game, stole third and scored when Obal's fly-ball to left was dropped. A freshman Steve Nikorak double scored Orzechowski to extend the lead to 10-0.
Del Mastro drove in the Owls' final run of the game in the seventh on a fielder's choice.
Trailing 11-0, George Washington (23-24, 9-11) tried to get back into the game with five runs in the seventh. But freshman Jordan Cannon (Reading, PA / Exeter Twp.) pitched the final five outs without allowing a run to close the game.
Orzechowski (three hits) and Del Mastro each drove in three runs for the Owls. Seven starters had at least one hit, including two doubles by sophomore Matt Heltz and two singles by Obal.
Bobby Lucas (5-1) suffered the loss after allowing eight earned runs in one inning of work. Chris Holland had a two-run homer for the Colonials.
With the win, Temple remained in fourth place in the Atlantic 10 standings with seven games to play. TU is 1.5 games out of first place, behind Xavier and Duquesne, and one game behind third-place Charlotte.
The series concludes on Sunday at noon.
