Temple University Athletics
Friday, February 18
Durham, N.C.
3:00 p.m.
Temple University
18
at
5
North Carolina Central
Ben White
Diamond Owls Take Down North Carolina Central, 18-5, On Opening Day
2.18.11 | Baseball
White earns win over six with seven strikeouts
Box Score
DURHAM, N.C. - The Temple baseball team kicked off the 2011 season with a dominating win, 18-5, over North Carolina Central on Friday afternoon at Durham Athletic Park. Senior Ben White earned the opening day win going six innings and fanning seven batters, while junior Taylor Juran (2-4, HR) drove in four runs on a first-inning grand slam.
The Owls (1-0) jumped out to a five run lead in the first, taking advantage of two fielding errors in the frame. Senior Byron McKoy (3-6, 2 2B) led off the game with a double down the left field line. Seniors Adrian Perez and Ryan Ferguson each reached on errors, with the latter scoring McKoy. An infield single by redshirt-junior Steve Nikorak advanced the runners and loaded the bases for Juran, who belted a grand slam to right field for a 5-0 Temple lead.
North Carolina Central (0-1) answered in the top half with three runs of its own, but White settled down and held the home team scoreless over the next two frames.
Temple would pick up two more in the second, as McKoy hit his second double of the day to reach base. Sophomore Daniel Dragos (2-3, 2B, HR) came up as the next batter and, with one out, hit a home run to left field to clear the bases.
With a 7-3 lead, the Owls looked for more in the fourth. Temple posted a huge nine-run frame on six hits to put the game out of reach. Junior Jabair Khan reached base safely and scored twice in the inning, while the Owls batted around. Khan, Perez, Ferguson, senior Ben Flanary and McKoy all drove in runs in the inning.
White would all just one more run in the bottom of the fourth, not allowing a run in the fifth and sixth inning. He would only allow three baserunners over his final three innings of work, striking out six over that time.
Freshman Zach Batchelor made his collegiate debut in relief for White, putting the Eagles down in order in the seventh and eight and allowing just one run in the ninth. Both pitchers benefited from a perfect day in the field by the Owls defense.
The Owls added two more insurance runs in the seventh on three hits, including a doubles by Dragos and Perez and a single by Juran.
For Temple, it was the most runs scored on opening day as far back as records go to 1960, and the first season-opening win since 2004. The series continues tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. with junior Brant Norlander making his Temple debut on the hill.
DURHAM, N.C. - The Temple baseball team kicked off the 2011 season with a dominating win, 18-5, over North Carolina Central on Friday afternoon at Durham Athletic Park. Senior Ben White earned the opening day win going six innings and fanning seven batters, while junior Taylor Juran (2-4, HR) drove in four runs on a first-inning grand slam.
The Owls (1-0) jumped out to a five run lead in the first, taking advantage of two fielding errors in the frame. Senior Byron McKoy (3-6, 2 2B) led off the game with a double down the left field line. Seniors Adrian Perez and Ryan Ferguson each reached on errors, with the latter scoring McKoy. An infield single by redshirt-junior Steve Nikorak advanced the runners and loaded the bases for Juran, who belted a grand slam to right field for a 5-0 Temple lead.
North Carolina Central (0-1) answered in the top half with three runs of its own, but White settled down and held the home team scoreless over the next two frames.
Temple would pick up two more in the second, as McKoy hit his second double of the day to reach base. Sophomore Daniel Dragos (2-3, 2B, HR) came up as the next batter and, with one out, hit a home run to left field to clear the bases.
With a 7-3 lead, the Owls looked for more in the fourth. Temple posted a huge nine-run frame on six hits to put the game out of reach. Junior Jabair Khan reached base safely and scored twice in the inning, while the Owls batted around. Khan, Perez, Ferguson, senior Ben Flanary and McKoy all drove in runs in the inning.
White would all just one more run in the bottom of the fourth, not allowing a run in the fifth and sixth inning. He would only allow three baserunners over his final three innings of work, striking out six over that time.
Freshman Zach Batchelor made his collegiate debut in relief for White, putting the Eagles down in order in the seventh and eight and allowing just one run in the ninth. Both pitchers benefited from a perfect day in the field by the Owls defense.
The Owls added two more insurance runs in the seventh on three hits, including a doubles by Dragos and Perez and a single by Juran.
For Temple, it was the most runs scored on opening day as far back as records go to 1960, and the first season-opening win since 2004. The series continues tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. with junior Brant Norlander making his Temple debut on the hill.
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