Temple University Athletics
Jusino's Grand Slam Helps Owls Beat Xavier, 13-9
4.24.09 | Baseball
April 24, 2009
AMBLER, PA - Junior Tony Jusino had four hits, including a grand slam, and drove in five runs to lead Temple to a 13-9 victory over Xavier on Friday afternoon at Skip Wilson Field. Three of the Owls' 19 hits were home runs and the hosts held off a ninth inning Musketeer rally for their tenth win in conference play.
The Cherry and White (16-20, 10-5 A-10) offense, which has totaled 40 hits in its last two games, was impressive once again. All nine starters had at least one hit and all but two scored a run. TU batted .475 (19-for-40) as a team, including .467 with runners in scoring position.
Senior Carmen Del Mastro made his first start after injuring his ankle two weeks ago and did not miss a beat. He lined three singles to raise his batting average to a team-best .398.
Sophomore Byron McKoy also had two doubles and a home run and is seven for his last ten (.700). His home run was the seventh of the season and 13th of his career. It is the most home runs by a Temple player in his first two seasons since Pete Dempsey hit 18 in 1976 and 1977.
Seniors Jamie Abercrombie, Mark Ortega and Lenny DelGrippo all had two hits. Ortega now has 17 doubles this season, which ranks him seventh on the single season list at TU. The record is 20 by Mike Palys in 1989 and Stan Orzechowski in 2007.
Senior Sean Barksdale blasted a two-run home run to deep centerfield, his 12th of the season and 24th of his career. He now is sixth on the single season list with Palys and Rob Cucinotta (2001) and seventh on the career list. His next RBI will tie former major leaguer John Marzano for second on the all-time list.
Jusino's second inning grand slam to right gave Temple a 5-4 lead it would not relinquish. After two quick outs, senior Kyle Obal doubled, Ortega was hit by a pitch and Del Mastro singled. Jusino then blasted a 2-1 pitch over the right field fence for his first collegiate grand slam.
Temple added to the lead with a run in the fourth on Abercrombie's RBI single but Xavier answered with a run in the fifth to make it 6-5. The Owls broke the game open with three runs in the sixth, as Abercrombie plated a run on a groundout and Barksdale hit his towering two-run homer to the deepest part of the park.
Three more runs in the seventh, aided by McKoy's two-run homer to center, and another in the eighth made it 13-5 and it looked as if the hosts would coast to their second straight win.
Xavier (21-16, 8-8 A-10) had a different plan, sending 10 batters to the plate in the frame, and recording seven hits and four runs to make it 13-9. The tying run was at the plate in the form of Ben Thomas, who stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and only one out and eight homers to his name this spring.
Junior Matt Blackburn induced a fly-out and groundout to record his fourth save of the season.
Sophomore Ben White improved to 3-3 after striking out seven in eight innings. He allowed seven earned runs and walked just one.
Danny Rosenbaum (3-4) suffered the loss after allowing eight earned runs in five innings. Steve Brown had two hits, including a home run, and drove in three.
The series resumes on Saturday at 1 PM.
NOTES: Sunday's start time has been moved to noon...Temple's team batting average is at a team-high .320...The Owls are batting .471, including .457 with runners in scoring position, in their past two games...TU has 11 team saves, one short of tying the school record set last season...Blackburn's 65 appearances and four saves are tied for fifth all-time in a season at TU.
