Temple University Athletics
Sunday, March 13
Skip Wilson Field
1:00 p.m.
Temple University
5
vs
4
Iona
Jabair Khan
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Late Heroics Lift Baseball Over Iona, 5-4
3.13.11 | Baseball
Ferguson drops homer to tie in eighth, Khan singles home game winner in ninth
Box Score | Postgame Interviews
AMBLER, Pa. - The Temple baseball team pulled out some late game heroics on Sunday afternoon at Skip Wilson Field to walk off with a 5-4 win over Iona and cap a perfect weekend of play. Senior Ryan Ferguson came up clutch with a game-tying home run in the eighth inning, allowing for a walk off single in the ninth by junior Jabair Khan.
Temple, now 8-5 on the year and winners of five-straight games, was set up for victory by a strong outing from freshman Matt Hockenberry. Hockenberry threw seven strong innings, allowing just two runs and striking out five. Redshirt-junior Steve Nikorak closed out the game and earned the win throwing the final two frames, including a scoreless top of the ninth.
Junior Cameron Green (3-4, 2B, RBI) led the Owls' offense with three hits. The bats took a while to get going today, but came on in timely fashion for the final two-thirds of the game. Khan (2-4, 2 RBI), who drove in two runs, and Ferguson (2-4, HR, RBI), who extended his hit streak to 12 games, each went two-for-four on the game.
Iona starter Tom Kriss kept the Owls off balance for most of the 6.1 innings he threw. Kriss struck out three batters and gave up three earned runs. Anthony Castellitto took the loss for the Gaels, responsible for the deciding run in the ninth.
After a scorless first, Iona jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top second after James Beck, who led off the frame with a triple, scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Rossetti. Hockenberry kept the Gaels off the scoreboard for the next two innings, allowing one more in the fifth.
The Temple bats woke up in the bottom of the seventh, springing for three runs in the frame to take a 3-2 lead. Nikorak led off the inning with a double to right center, scoring on a single by junior Taylor Juran. After a single by freshman Will Remillard, senior Ben Flanary bunted to move the runners to second and third. A hard grounder off of the third baseman's glove by Green scored one, while a single by Khan plated the final run of the inning.
Iona recaptured the lead in the top of the eighth, pulling off a two-out rally to pick up two runs and go up 4-3.
Ferguson came up clutch with a towering one-out homer to right field to knot the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth, with Nikorak tossing a scoreless ninth to set up the Owls' final frame.
Flanary led off the inning with a single through the left side, being pinch run for by sophomore David Hall. Green doubled to move Hall into scoring position at third, setting up Khan's walk-off single to right field to give the Owls' a 5-4 win.
The Owls are in action again on Wednesday, as Temple hosts crosstown rival Penn at Skip Wilson Field on March 16 at 3:00 p.m.
AMBLER, Pa. - The Temple baseball team pulled out some late game heroics on Sunday afternoon at Skip Wilson Field to walk off with a 5-4 win over Iona and cap a perfect weekend of play. Senior Ryan Ferguson came up clutch with a game-tying home run in the eighth inning, allowing for a walk off single in the ninth by junior Jabair Khan.
Temple, now 8-5 on the year and winners of five-straight games, was set up for victory by a strong outing from freshman Matt Hockenberry. Hockenberry threw seven strong innings, allowing just two runs and striking out five. Redshirt-junior Steve Nikorak closed out the game and earned the win throwing the final two frames, including a scoreless top of the ninth.
Junior Cameron Green (3-4, 2B, RBI) led the Owls' offense with three hits. The bats took a while to get going today, but came on in timely fashion for the final two-thirds of the game. Khan (2-4, 2 RBI), who drove in two runs, and Ferguson (2-4, HR, RBI), who extended his hit streak to 12 games, each went two-for-four on the game.
Iona starter Tom Kriss kept the Owls off balance for most of the 6.1 innings he threw. Kriss struck out three batters and gave up three earned runs. Anthony Castellitto took the loss for the Gaels, responsible for the deciding run in the ninth.
After a scorless first, Iona jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top second after James Beck, who led off the frame with a triple, scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Rossetti. Hockenberry kept the Gaels off the scoreboard for the next two innings, allowing one more in the fifth.
The Temple bats woke up in the bottom of the seventh, springing for three runs in the frame to take a 3-2 lead. Nikorak led off the inning with a double to right center, scoring on a single by junior Taylor Juran. After a single by freshman Will Remillard, senior Ben Flanary bunted to move the runners to second and third. A hard grounder off of the third baseman's glove by Green scored one, while a single by Khan plated the final run of the inning.
Iona recaptured the lead in the top of the eighth, pulling off a two-out rally to pick up two runs and go up 4-3.
Ferguson came up clutch with a towering one-out homer to right field to knot the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth, with Nikorak tossing a scoreless ninth to set up the Owls' final frame.
Flanary led off the inning with a single through the left side, being pinch run for by sophomore David Hall. Green doubled to move Hall into scoring position at third, setting up Khan's walk-off single to right field to give the Owls' a 5-4 win.
The Owls are in action again on Wednesday, as Temple hosts crosstown rival Penn at Skip Wilson Field on March 16 at 3:00 p.m.
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