Temple University Athletics
Temple Falls To Wichita State, 8-4, In Season Opener
2.20.09 | Baseball
Feb. 20, 2009
FORT MYERS, FL - Temple held a 1-0 lead through four innings and hung around with perennial College World Series contender Wichita State before falling, 8-4, in the season opener for both teams on Friday at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational. The Owls threatened with three runs in the eighth inning but came up short against the Shockers, ranked #35 by the National College Baseball Writers Association.
Sophomore Steve Nikorak kept the Shockers off balance through the first three plus innings, holding WSU to just a single hit while facing one batter over the minimum. But in the fourth, the right-hander had to be removed from the game with an injury to his throwing arm. His status has yet to be determined.
While Nikorak was dealing on the mound, the Cherry and White held on to a 1-0 lead, thanks to a manufactured run in the first. Senior Carmen Del Mastro was hit by a pitch with one out, moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt, stole third and scored on senior Sean Barksdale's RBI groundout.
TU had a chance to add to the lead in the fourth when senior Kyle Obal singled and classmate Jamie Abercrombie doubled with one out. But WSU starter Tim Kelley struck out the next two batters to kill the rally.
Wichita State (1-0) took the lead with two runs in the fifth. A leadoff walk and two errors, combined with a RBI double by Cody Lassley, gave the Shockers a lead they would not relinquish.
WSU added a single run in the sixth and tacked on four in the seventh, two on a double by Clinton McKeever, to take a 7-1 advantage.
But Temple fought back, scoring three in the eighth. Sophomore Byron McKoy, Del Mastro and Barksdale all singled to load the bases with no outs. A passed ball would plate McKoy and Del Mastro scored on senior Mark Ortega's groundout.
Obal (two hits) then doubled to left to plate Barksdale and make the score 7-4. Legendary WSU head coach Gene Stephenson then turned to his closer Max Hutson who induced a groundout and a strikeout to end the threat.
Temple made three of its six errors on the day in the ninth, allowing Wichita State to tack on an insurance run.
Freshman Tyler Horst made his collegiate debut a good one, allowing only an unearned run in two innings of relief. He struck out two batters.
Classmate Dan Moller suffered the loss after allowing seven earned runs in three innings. He drops to 0-1.
Kelley picked up the win for WSU, striking out five in six innings of work. He allowed three hits and one earned run to improve to 1-0. Hutson recorded his first save of the season, striking out four in 1.2 innings.
Temple (0-1) resumes play at the FGCU Invitational on Saturday when it takes on Central Michigan at 1 PM.
