Temple University Athletics
Late Comeback Gives La Salle 10-8 Win Over Temple
4.7.09 | Baseball
April 7, 2009
PHILADELPHIA - La Salle capped a late comeback with four unearned runs with two outs in the eighth inning to beat Temple, 10-8, on Tuesday at Hank DeVincent Field. Senior Sean Barksdale had four hits, including a home run, and drove in three to lead the Owls.
Barksdale continued his torrid hitting against the Explorers throughout his illustrious career. In four games this season, the co-captain is batting .533 (8-for-15) with three doubles, a home run and nine RBI. For his career, Barksdale is a .438 hitter (14-for-32) with three homers and 15 RBI in eight games against the city rival.
His four hits today give him a team-best 46 for the season and 190 for his career, good for eighth all-time with former major leaguer John Marzano (1982-84).
The Owls took a 7-2 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth thanks to three home runs on the chilly April afternoon. Senior Jamie Abercrombie hit his third long-ball of the season, a two-run shot to right in the second to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
He finished the day with two hits and now has 199 for his career. Only three players in Temple history have ever reached the 200-hit plateau (Bob Filler '01, 234; Tom Whalen '96, 228 and Rob Cucinotta '03, 228).
Barksdale followed in the third with a two-run blast to right, his team-best sixth of the season to make it 4-0. La Salle answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame but the Cherry and White made it 6-2 with a pair of runs in the fifth.
Barksdale singled with one-out, stole second and scored on a double by senior Mark Ortega. Abercrombie ripped another double to score Ortega to give the Owls a four-run advantage.
Junior Tony Jusino hit a solo shot in the sixth, his third of the season, to give TU a 7-2 lead with only 12 outs remaining.
La Salle scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth, two coming on a two-run double by Zach Feierstein. A single run in the seventh made it 7-6 before things got interesting in the eighth.
After Feierstein led off the inning with a single off sophomore reliever Jordan Cannon, pinch-runner Rich Gehman was sacrificed to second to put the tying run 180-feet away. But Cannon picked Gehman off second to clear the bases with two outs.
A Temple error allowed the Explorers (12-15) new life, and the hosts took advantage. La Salle used four hits and a walk to take a 10-7 lead and send the Owls to defeat at "the Hank" for the fourth time in the past five meetings.
The Owls managed a ninth inning run on Barksdale's RBI single but it was too little, too late.
Cannon (1-3) suffered the loss, despite allowing only one earned run in two innings. Ortega and Jusino each had two hits.
Christian Schulz (2-1) earned the win with three innings of relief. He allowed an earned run and struck out three.
Temple (13-14) returns to action on Wednesday with a visit to Rider. First pitch is set for 3:30 PM.
NOTES: Freshman Foster Dunigan made his first collegiate start...Temple has hit seven home runs in its past three games...It is the second three-homer game of the season...Barksdale is now tied for seventh all-time with former major leaguer Bobby Higginson (1989, 91-92) with 51 steals...Abercrombie is tied for second all-time with Cucinotta with 683 at-bats.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: Next Tuesday's non-conference game against Delaware has been changed to Wednesday at 3:00 PM to accommodate the Blue Hens playing in the Liberty Bell Classic Championship.
