Temple University Athletics
Tuesday, May 3
New Brunswick, N.J.
12:00 p.m.
Temple University
1
at
2
Rutgers
Steve Nikorak
Photo by: Mitchell Leff
Pitcher's Duel Ends In 2-1 Loss At Rutgers For Diamond Owls
5.3.11 | Baseball
Nikorak tosses six innings of three-hit ball
Box Score
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Stingy pitching efforts from both sides translated to a slow day at the plate in the Temple baseball team's contest at Rutgers on Tuesday afternoon. The Owls rallied to tie the game in the seventh, but fell 2-1 to the Scarlet Knights at Bainton Field. Temple, now an even 21-21 overall on the year, matched the Scarlet Knights, now 16-25 overall, in the hit column on the day.
Redshirt-junior Steve Nikorak gave the Owls a solid 6.0 innings of work to start, limiting Rutgers to just three hits and one run. Nikorak only allowed two free passes and struck out three. Junior Jimmy Devine (3-2) took over for the Stroudsburg, Pa., product in the seventh, giving up the go-ahead run in the eighth to card the loss.
Junior Ryan Fasano threw a complete game to earn the win, holding the Owls to one run and four hits in the contest. Fasano fanned 10 hitters and did not allow a single walk excluding one hit batsman.
Rutgers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but Nikorak held the home team scoreless for the remainder of his time on the mound. The Owls rallied to tie the game in the top of the seventh, as senior Byron McKoy led off the frame with a double down the left field line. Senior Adrian Perez was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second, with a single by senior Ryan Ferguson loading the bases. After a fielder's choice on a Nikorak grounder caught McKoy at the plate, a wild pitch allowed Perez to scamper home and knot the game at 1-1.
The Scarlet Knights' Michael Lang led off the eighth with a triple down the right field line, setting up a sacrifice fly by Russ Hopkins to plate the game winning run and put the final score at 2-1. It is the fifth time this season that the Owls have lost by a margin of one run, and the third in the last five games. Also of note, McKoy's double in the seventh was the 48th of his career, moving him sole possession of second place all-time in Temple history. Nikorak also ranks highly on the doubles list, owning 47 to now be tied for third all-time.
Temple returns to Skip Wilson Field for the first time since April 26, taking on St. Bonaventure to start an Atlantic 10 series on Friday, May 6, at 3:00 p.m.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Stingy pitching efforts from both sides translated to a slow day at the plate in the Temple baseball team's contest at Rutgers on Tuesday afternoon. The Owls rallied to tie the game in the seventh, but fell 2-1 to the Scarlet Knights at Bainton Field. Temple, now an even 21-21 overall on the year, matched the Scarlet Knights, now 16-25 overall, in the hit column on the day.
Redshirt-junior Steve Nikorak gave the Owls a solid 6.0 innings of work to start, limiting Rutgers to just three hits and one run. Nikorak only allowed two free passes and struck out three. Junior Jimmy Devine (3-2) took over for the Stroudsburg, Pa., product in the seventh, giving up the go-ahead run in the eighth to card the loss.
Junior Ryan Fasano threw a complete game to earn the win, holding the Owls to one run and four hits in the contest. Fasano fanned 10 hitters and did not allow a single walk excluding one hit batsman.
Rutgers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but Nikorak held the home team scoreless for the remainder of his time on the mound. The Owls rallied to tie the game in the top of the seventh, as senior Byron McKoy led off the frame with a double down the left field line. Senior Adrian Perez was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second, with a single by senior Ryan Ferguson loading the bases. After a fielder's choice on a Nikorak grounder caught McKoy at the plate, a wild pitch allowed Perez to scamper home and knot the game at 1-1.
The Scarlet Knights' Michael Lang led off the eighth with a triple down the right field line, setting up a sacrifice fly by Russ Hopkins to plate the game winning run and put the final score at 2-1. It is the fifth time this season that the Owls have lost by a margin of one run, and the third in the last five games. Also of note, McKoy's double in the seventh was the 48th of his career, moving him sole possession of second place all-time in Temple history. Nikorak also ranks highly on the doubles list, owning 47 to now be tied for third all-time.
Temple returns to Skip Wilson Field for the first time since April 26, taking on St. Bonaventure to start an Atlantic 10 series on Friday, May 6, at 3:00 p.m.
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