Temple University Athletics
Temple University
10-11
La Salle
11-9
Elko's Double Guides Owls to 6-3 Win Over La Salle
3.21.12 | Baseball
Jordan Queja hit his first home run of the season
PHILADELPHIA – Redshirt junior Matt Elko continued his hot streak, delivering a two-run RBI double in the sixth inning to give Temple a 5-3 lead over the La Salle Explorers at Hank DeVincent Field on Wednesday. The Owls expanded their lead to a three-run margin later in the inning when senior Jabair Khan capped the four-run scoring output on his RBI single, increasing the lead to a 6-3 margin, which would be large enough for the Owls to claim the victory.
Temple nabbed its 10th victory of the season, bringing itself within a game of .500 at 10-11 before diving into Atlantic 10 Conference play this weekend.
Senior Brant Norlander picked up his first win of the season, improving him to 1-1, after relieving freshman Adam Dian, who made his first collegiate start. Redshirt senior Brian Sustersic was awarded the save after pitching the final 0.2 innings. La Salle's Adam Cherry was hit with the loss.
Trailing by a run after La Salle's Adam Kammler ripped a single to score Brendan Norton in the first inning, the Owls responded when junior Jordan Queja smashed his first home run of the year in the third inning with Foster Dunigan at first base.
Temple's 2-1 lead was short-lived, as Ryan Welling scored on a wild pitch by Dian to provide the equalizer for the Explorers.
La Salle went up 3-2 in the fifth, but the turn of the tide would come in the sixth when the Owls exploded for four runs, chasing Explorers' starter Mark Williams out of the game.
With the Owls up 6-3, redshirt junior Steve Visnic entered the game when the team took over the field in the bottom half of the sixth.
Visnic shut down the Explorers through the next 3.1 innings, making it look easy. The Owls' side-armer , who has surrendered just two runs in his 10 appearances, allowed just one hit against the 10 Explorers he faced.
Having seven wins in their last nine games, the Owls open up A-10 play on the road against the Saint Louis Billikens this weekend.
Friday's series opener is slated for a 6:00 p.m. first pitch. Sophomore right hander Matt Hockenberry will have the ball for the Owls.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Norlander, Brant (1-1)
L: CHERRY, Adam (1-1)
S: Sustersic, Brian (3)
Batting:
2B: Elko, Matt 1
HR: Queja, Jordan 1
RBI: Queja, Jordan 2 ; Juran, Taylor 1 ; Elko, Matt 2 ; Khan, Jabair 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Queja, Jordan 1 ; Nikorak, Steve 1 ; Yarborough, Elijah 1 ; Reilly, Connor 1 ; Elko, Matt 1 ; Dunigan, Foster 1
HBP: Juran, Taylor 1 ; Reilly, Connor 1 ; Dunigan, Foster 1
Batting:
2B: CONROY, Kevin 1
3B: FLAX, Jeff 1 ; KORENBLATT, Justin 1
RBI: KAMMLER, Adam 2
Base Running:
RUNS: NORTON, Brendan 1 ; FLAX, Jeff 1 ; WELLING, Ryan 1
SB: NORTON, Brendan 1 ; BENNIE, Joe 1
CS: KAMMLER, Adam 1 ; CONROY, Kevin 1
HBP: FLAX, Jeff 1 ; GARCIA, Marshall 1
