Temple University Athletics
Saturday, May 22
St. Bonaventure, NY
12:00 p.m.
Temple University
12
at
17
St. Bonaventure
Ryan Ferguson
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Baseball’s Season Wraps With Slugfest At St. Bonaventure
5.22.10 | Baseball
Owls’ offense opens hot, posts nine runs in first three
Box Score
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The Temple baseball team jumped out to a 9-2 lead after three innings of play Saturday afternoon in their season finale at St. Bonaventure, but a late rally from the Bonnies handed the Owls a 17-12 loss. Junior Ryan Ferguson and redshirt-sophomore Steve Nikorak spearheaded the Owls' offense with three-RBI's a piece.
Along with supplying the offense, Nikorak guided the Owls on the hill. The Stroudsburg, Pa. native kept the Bonnies' under control over the first five, striking out a career-high 11 foes.
Temple opened the game with three-straight multi-run innings, starting with a three-run first. Junior Byron McKoy (3-5, 2B, 3 R) led off the game with a single to center, advancing to third on a single from Ferguson (2-4, HR, 3 RBI). Nikorak (3-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI) stepped in with a double to left center to plate both, eventually scoring on a single from senior Tony Jusino (2-5, 2 RBI).
One in the bottom of the frame put St. Bonaventure on the board, but the Owls continued to build their lead with two in the second. Sophomore Jabair Khan drew a leadoff walk, moving to third on a double from McKoy. Ferguson lifted a fly ball to left, sacrificing home Khan, while McKoy plated on a single from Nikorak to put the lead at 5-1.
Again the Bonnies posted one in the bottom, but it would not match the five-run third Temple put together. With the help of two errors in the inning, the Owls jumped to a 9-2 lead. As Jusino reached on an error to lead off, junior Ben Flanary (2-5, HR, 2 RBI) made the Bonnies pay with a two-run homer to left. Singles from freshman Henry Knabe, McKoy and junior Adrian Perez loaded the bases for Ferguson, who singled through the right side to plate two. After an intentional walk to Nikorak, junior Jean Carlos Diaz hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Perez.
SBU continued to chip away at the Owls lead with one in the fourth and fifth. Two from Temple in the top of the sixth erased the damage done, but the next three frames would be the undoing for the Owls.
Six runs on five hits from the Bonnies in the bottom of the frame brought the game within two, also forcing the Owls to remove Nikorak, and burn two relievers in senior Matt Blackburn and sophomore Tyler Horst.
After a scoreless frame from the Cherry and White, St. Bonaventure tied the game up with two in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Ryan Thomas entered to relieve Horst with one out and man on third, giving up two runs but working out of the jam.
Thomas (2-4) took the loss for TU, while SBU's Brad Steinbach (1-1) earned the win.
Temple went down in order in the eighth, seeing the Bonnies capture the lead for good in the eighth. Three errors in the inning would be the catalyst for SBU's five runs in the frame. Redshirt-freshman Steve Visnic entered to relieve Thomas, making his school-record 28th appearance of the season. The Owls needed sophomore Dan Moller and senior Mike Click to get out of the inning.
Down to their final three outs, the Owls were put down in order in the top of the ninth, falling by the final score of 17-12.
Ferguson's three-RBI in the game brought his season total to 40, leading the team with a .328 batting average.
Temple finishes the season with a 14-37, 10-17 in Atlantic 10 play record. St. Bonaventure concludes their season with a 17-31, 8-19 record.
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The Temple baseball team jumped out to a 9-2 lead after three innings of play Saturday afternoon in their season finale at St. Bonaventure, but a late rally from the Bonnies handed the Owls a 17-12 loss. Junior Ryan Ferguson and redshirt-sophomore Steve Nikorak spearheaded the Owls' offense with three-RBI's a piece.
Along with supplying the offense, Nikorak guided the Owls on the hill. The Stroudsburg, Pa. native kept the Bonnies' under control over the first five, striking out a career-high 11 foes.
Temple opened the game with three-straight multi-run innings, starting with a three-run first. Junior Byron McKoy (3-5, 2B, 3 R) led off the game with a single to center, advancing to third on a single from Ferguson (2-4, HR, 3 RBI). Nikorak (3-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI) stepped in with a double to left center to plate both, eventually scoring on a single from senior Tony Jusino (2-5, 2 RBI).
One in the bottom of the frame put St. Bonaventure on the board, but the Owls continued to build their lead with two in the second. Sophomore Jabair Khan drew a leadoff walk, moving to third on a double from McKoy. Ferguson lifted a fly ball to left, sacrificing home Khan, while McKoy plated on a single from Nikorak to put the lead at 5-1.
Again the Bonnies posted one in the bottom, but it would not match the five-run third Temple put together. With the help of two errors in the inning, the Owls jumped to a 9-2 lead. As Jusino reached on an error to lead off, junior Ben Flanary (2-5, HR, 2 RBI) made the Bonnies pay with a two-run homer to left. Singles from freshman Henry Knabe, McKoy and junior Adrian Perez loaded the bases for Ferguson, who singled through the right side to plate two. After an intentional walk to Nikorak, junior Jean Carlos Diaz hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Perez.
SBU continued to chip away at the Owls lead with one in the fourth and fifth. Two from Temple in the top of the sixth erased the damage done, but the next three frames would be the undoing for the Owls.
Six runs on five hits from the Bonnies in the bottom of the frame brought the game within two, also forcing the Owls to remove Nikorak, and burn two relievers in senior Matt Blackburn and sophomore Tyler Horst.
After a scoreless frame from the Cherry and White, St. Bonaventure tied the game up with two in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Ryan Thomas entered to relieve Horst with one out and man on third, giving up two runs but working out of the jam.
Thomas (2-4) took the loss for TU, while SBU's Brad Steinbach (1-1) earned the win.
Temple went down in order in the eighth, seeing the Bonnies capture the lead for good in the eighth. Three errors in the inning would be the catalyst for SBU's five runs in the frame. Redshirt-freshman Steve Visnic entered to relieve Thomas, making his school-record 28th appearance of the season. The Owls needed sophomore Dan Moller and senior Mike Click to get out of the inning.
Down to their final three outs, the Owls were put down in order in the top of the ninth, falling by the final score of 17-12.
Ferguson's three-RBI in the game brought his season total to 40, leading the team with a .328 batting average.
Temple finishes the season with a 14-37, 10-17 in Atlantic 10 play record. St. Bonaventure concludes their season with a 17-31, 8-19 record.
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