Temple University Athletics
Big Inning Leads Penn State To 7-4 Win Over Temple
3.25.09 | Baseball
March 25, 2009
AMBLER, PA - Penn State scored six runs in the third inning and never looked back in handing Temple a 7-4 loss on Wednesday at Skip Wilson Field in its first visit to TU since 1996. Seniors Sean Barksdale and Carmen Del Mastro each had two hits for the Owls.
All nine Temple starters recorded at least one hit but the hosts could not put the big inning together, scoring one run in four different frames. The Owls left nine runners on and had three potential rallies thwarted by double plays, including twin killings in the last two frames.
Penn State (13-8), which won for the sixth straight game, parlayed its six-run third into a 7-2 lead. Jordan Steranka had a two-run single and Grant Youngblood added a two-run triple to highlight the inning for the Nittany Lions.
Junior starter Mike Click settled down after that inning, throwing two scoreless frames before handing the ball to sophomore Jordan Cannon. Cannon, who has not allowed an earned run in 10 innings, tossed a scoreless sixth and junior Kyle Monahan pitched the final three frames and allowed just two hits.
Only one PSU runner reached past second base in the final six innings as the Temple pitching staff put up six consecutive zeroes on the scoreboard.
Barksdale drove in a run with his single to right in the first to make it 1-1, but the Owls squandered a bases-loaded, one-out situation by hitting into a double play.
TU took its only lead in the second on an unearned run. Freshman Jabair Khan doubled to left with two outs and moved to third on a play seldom seen in baseball. Senior Jamie Abercrombie grounded to shortstop but the throw hit the base umpire, resulting in an error and moving Khan to third.
Del Mastro then singled through the left-side to score Khan and put the Owls ahead, 2-1. Obal drove in his team-best 22nd run of the season, setting a new career-high, with a groundout in the fourth to cut the deficit to 7-3.
In the eighth, senior Lenny DelGrippo doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a double-play groundout.
Temple tried to rally in the ninth as Abercrombie led off with a single and Del Mastro was hit by a pitch. PSU went to the bullpen, calling on Ryan Ignas to face Barksdale. The Glenolden, PA native hit a hard grounder to third, resulting in a 5-3 double-play, and the Owls fell to their in-state rival for the sixth straight time.
Click (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing seven earned runs in five innings. Barksdale extended his hitting streak to 12 games and junior Tony Jusino had a hit to extend his streak to nine games.
Paul Cianciolo (1-0), a two-sport athlete who served as Penn State's backup quarterback in the Rose Bowl in January, earned the win after allowing two earned runs in six innings. Ignas picked up his first save with a scoreless ninth.
Blake Lynd, Landon Nakata and Cory Wine all had two hits for the Nittany Lions.
The Owls (8-11) will host La Salle in a three-game Atlantic 10 series beginning on Friday. First pitch is set for 3 PM and the game will be video streamed live on OwlAccess.
