Temple University Athletics
Temple Eliminated From Playoff Hunt With 8-6 Loss At Fordham
5.15.09 | Baseball
May 15, 2009
BRONX, NY - Temple rallied to tie the score at 3-3 in the sixth but Fordham scored four in the bottom of the inning to ensure a 8-6 victory on Friday at Houlihan Park. With the defeat, the Owls have been eliminated from the Atlantic 10 Tournament playoff chase. Senior Lenny DelGrippo had three hits and drove in two, while sophomore Ryan Ferguson blasted his first career home run.
TU came into the game needing a pair of wins in its final two games in the Bronx along with a Duquesne three-game sweep of UMass. Regardless of the outcome of Temple's game, the Owls would have been eliminated as the Minutemen dispatched the Dukes, 14-5, in the first game of today's doubleheader in Amherst, MA.
Senior Carmen Del Mastro and sophomore Rafael Cordero each had two hits for the Cherry and White (17-32, 11-14 A-10).
Hope was still alive in the TU dugout after tying the game on Ferguson's two-out homer to centerfield in the sixth, making the score 3-3. DelGrippo had cut it to 3-2 an inning prior with his two-out, two-run single.
The Rams, who qualified for the A-10 Tournament with the victory, responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame to make it 7-3. Mike Mobbs had a two-run single to highlight the Fordham rally.
After another Maroon and White run in the seventh to extend the lead to 8-3, the Owls scored three runs in their final two at-bats to complete the scoring.
DelGrippo led off the eighth with a double and later scored on Cordero's one-out single. Freshman Taylor Juran followed with a single and Ferguson walked to load the bases for senior Jamie Abercrombie.
Abercrombie's fielder's choice scored Cordero, but the Owls were unable to draw any closer and trailed 8-5.
In the ninth, DelGrippo singled with two outs and moved to second on an error. He scored on senior Kyle Obal's RBI single.
The Owls were playing without senior Sean Barksdale and freshman Jabair Khan, who collided in right-center in the sixth inning of yesterday's game.
Sophomore Ben White suffered the loss after allowing five earned runs in 5.1 innings. Sophomore Mike Click pitched the final 2.1 innings and surrendered an earned run.
Danny Leach had three hits and scored three times for the Rams (21-30, 15-11). Bobby DiNardo and Mobbs each drove in a pair of runs as well.
Jake Rabinowitz (3-6) earned the win, despite allowing three earned runs in 2.2 innings. Chris Kaible pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
The series concludes on Saturday night at 7 PM.
