Temple University Athletics
Friday, March 9
Ambler, Pa.
2:00 p.m.
Temple University
4-8
10
vs
6
Central Connecticut
1-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Cent. Connecticut St
0
0
2
3
0
0
1
0
0
6
7
3
Temple
3
1
0
1
1
2
0
2
X
10
12
1
Redshirt-senior Steve Nikorak
Nikorak and Yarborough Lead Owls to 10-6 Win Over CCSU In Home-Opener
3.9.12 | Baseball
Box Score
AMBLER – Redshirt senior Steve Nikorak had a monster day at the dish, going 4-for-5 with four runs scored, three doubles and a triple, to ignite the Temple baseball team to a 10-6 victory over Central Connecticut State in the Owls' first game of the season at Skip Wilson Field. Junior Elijah Yarborough played a major impact in the win, as he had a perfect day at the plate, going 4-for-4 with four runs batted in.
Temple got out to a strong lead in a hurry, pelting three runs on the scoreboard in the first inning.
Nikorak reached base for the 12th straight game, as him and Yarborough clubbed back-to-back RBI doubles to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead with only man down. Later in the inning, sophomore right fielder Connor Reilly smacked a base hit into center field to tack on more in the inning, putting the Owls up 3-0.
Continuing to be a strong addition to the team in his early days a member of the Owls, freshman Nick Lustrino increased Temple's lead when he ripped a double to score Foster Dunigan, making it a 4-0 lead for the Owls.
CCSU was in no way threatened, as it went on to generate some offense of its own.
The Blue Devils used means of small ball to get back in the contest, shrinking the TU lead to a two-run margin. A walk by Josh Ingham and then a double by Jake Matuszak put CCSU's first two batters of the inning in scoring position. Two sacrifice flies later in the inning helped the Blue Devils push across two runs to make it a 4-2 ballgame.
CCSU's momentum would carry into the fourth inning. With two runners aboard junior Tyler McIntyre provided the big blast, making it a 5-4 Blue Devil lead on his three-run home run.
Temple made sure CCSU's lead would be short-lived, as the Owls tied it when Dunigan reached base on throwing error from the third baseman, allowing Reilly to score the equalizer.
A balk in the ensuing inning by CCSU starter Todd Savatsky is where the turning point for the Owls would begin.
Already on second after hitting his second double of the game, Nikorak moved up to third on the balk call. On the next pitch, Yarborough made the Blue Devils pay, as Nikorak trotted home to tie the score, which would begin a spin in which the Owls would begin to runaway with the contest over the remainder of the game.
In the sixth inning, with the Owls already leading by a run, Nikorak drilled a pitch off the center field wall, allowing him to fly around second before winding up 90 feet away from home plate on his first triple of the season. On the three-base hit, Nikorak knocked in another run before Yarborough hammered another extra-base hit, doubling to send Nikorak home to make it a 8-5 Temple lead.
Relieving Owls' starter Matt Hockenberry in the sixth, freshman Adam Dian came in to pitch the next 1.1 innings and looked strong one again. In the sixth inning Dian came in got Tyler McIntyre to ground into a double play before getting Danny Hickey to pop out.
Steve Visnic took over for the Owls in the seventh and pitched the next 1.2 innings, where he did not allow a base runner during his outing.
Closing out the game for the Owls in the ninth, Brian Sustersic enetered in a non-save situation, but did his job, getting the final three outs, while allowing just one Blue Devil reach base.
Entering today's game on an 11-game hitting streak, senior Taylor Juran went hitless in the team's home-opener causing his streak to come to an end.
With the win, the Owls improve to 4-8 before hosting Maryland Eastern Shore at Skip Wilson Field on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
AMBLER – Redshirt senior Steve Nikorak had a monster day at the dish, going 4-for-5 with four runs scored, three doubles and a triple, to ignite the Temple baseball team to a 10-6 victory over Central Connecticut State in the Owls' first game of the season at Skip Wilson Field. Junior Elijah Yarborough played a major impact in the win, as he had a perfect day at the plate, going 4-for-4 with four runs batted in.
Temple got out to a strong lead in a hurry, pelting three runs on the scoreboard in the first inning.
Nikorak reached base for the 12th straight game, as him and Yarborough clubbed back-to-back RBI doubles to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead with only man down. Later in the inning, sophomore right fielder Connor Reilly smacked a base hit into center field to tack on more in the inning, putting the Owls up 3-0.
Continuing to be a strong addition to the team in his early days a member of the Owls, freshman Nick Lustrino increased Temple's lead when he ripped a double to score Foster Dunigan, making it a 4-0 lead for the Owls.
CCSU was in no way threatened, as it went on to generate some offense of its own.
The Blue Devils used means of small ball to get back in the contest, shrinking the TU lead to a two-run margin. A walk by Josh Ingham and then a double by Jake Matuszak put CCSU's first two batters of the inning in scoring position. Two sacrifice flies later in the inning helped the Blue Devils push across two runs to make it a 4-2 ballgame.
CCSU's momentum would carry into the fourth inning. With two runners aboard junior Tyler McIntyre provided the big blast, making it a 5-4 Blue Devil lead on his three-run home run.
Temple made sure CCSU's lead would be short-lived, as the Owls tied it when Dunigan reached base on throwing error from the third baseman, allowing Reilly to score the equalizer.
A balk in the ensuing inning by CCSU starter Todd Savatsky is where the turning point for the Owls would begin.
Already on second after hitting his second double of the game, Nikorak moved up to third on the balk call. On the next pitch, Yarborough made the Blue Devils pay, as Nikorak trotted home to tie the score, which would begin a spin in which the Owls would begin to runaway with the contest over the remainder of the game.
In the sixth inning, with the Owls already leading by a run, Nikorak drilled a pitch off the center field wall, allowing him to fly around second before winding up 90 feet away from home plate on his first triple of the season. On the three-base hit, Nikorak knocked in another run before Yarborough hammered another extra-base hit, doubling to send Nikorak home to make it a 8-5 Temple lead.
Relieving Owls' starter Matt Hockenberry in the sixth, freshman Adam Dian came in to pitch the next 1.1 innings and looked strong one again. In the sixth inning Dian came in got Tyler McIntyre to ground into a double play before getting Danny Hickey to pop out.
Steve Visnic took over for the Owls in the seventh and pitched the next 1.2 innings, where he did not allow a base runner during his outing.
Closing out the game for the Owls in the ninth, Brian Sustersic enetered in a non-save situation, but did his job, getting the final three outs, while allowing just one Blue Devil reach base.
Entering today's game on an 11-game hitting streak, senior Taylor Juran went hitless in the team's home-opener causing his streak to come to an end.
With the win, the Owls improve to 4-8 before hosting Maryland Eastern Shore at Skip Wilson Field on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hockenberry, Matt (2-0)
L: SAVATSKY (0-0)
Batting:
2B: MATUSZAK 1
HR: MCINTYRE 1
RBI: DELACRUZ 1 ; WELLS 1 ; SPORTMAN 1 ; MCINTYRE 3
SF: DELACRUZ 1 ; WELLS 1 ; SPORTMAN 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MATUSZAK 1 ; TURGEON 1 ; WASHBURN 1 ; MCINTYRE 1 ; INGHAM 2
HBP: WASHBURN 1 ; INGHAM 1
Batting:
2B: Lustrino, Nick 1 ; Nikorak, Steve 3 ; Yarborough, Elijah 2
3B: Nikorak, Steve 1
RBI: Lustrino, Nick 1 ; Nikorak, Steve 3 ; Yarborough, Elijah 4 ; Reilly, Connor 1
SF: Juran, Taylor 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Queja, Jordan 1 ; Lustrino, Nick 2 ; Nikorak, Steve 4 ; Yarborough, Elijah 1 ; Reilly, Connor 1 ; Dunigan, Foster 1
SB: Lustrino, Nick 1
CS: Dunigan, Foster 1
HBP: Lustrino, Nick 1 ; Elko, Matt 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
4
H
4
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
4
RBI
4
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
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