Khan Moves To Leadoff Spot and Keeps Streak Alive; Owls Downed 3-2 At Monmouth

Tuesday, April 10

West Long Branch, N.J.

3:30 p.m.

Temple University

12-20

Monmouth

19-12

Temple

Monmouth

Senior Jabair Khan went 2-for-4 out of the leadoff position to extend hit-streak to eight games

Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University

Khan Moves To Leadoff Spot and Keeps Streak Alive; Owls Downed 3-2 At Monmouth

4.10.12 | Baseball

Box Score

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Monmouth struck first with two runs in the first inning and needed just four hits to defeat the Temple Owls, 3-2, Tuesday afternoon at Kessler Field. Tuesday's meeting was the makeup of the March 31 rainout. Trailing by a run in the ninth, the Owls had the bases loaded and a chance to force Monmouth into the bottom half of the inning, but a strikeout by junior Jordan Queja and a ground out by freshman Nick Lustrino would end the threat, salavging Monmouth (18-12) a win in the season series with the Owls and their sixth straight victory overall.

Coming in winless since the last time it faced Monmouth back on April 1, head coach Ryan Wheeler shook up his batting order, swapping Queja with senior Jabair Khan for the leadoff spot.

For Khan, the move was a success, as he was able to extend his current hitting streak to eight consecutive games. On the day, the Owls center fielder from West Chester, Pa. went 2-for-4 with a walk and was Temple's only hitter with a multi-hit game.

Batting out of the nine-hole, Queja had a solid day as well, going 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.

Freshman right-hander Eric Peterson was tabbed with his first loss of his career. On the day, the Bear, Del. native went 4.0 innings of work, in which he allowed two runs on two hits—all of which happened in the first inning.

Monmouth's Danny Avella and Chris Perret were the only two figure out Peterson. Avella smacked a double down the right field line, scoring a runner. Perret came up and laced a single to bring Avella in on the play to make it, 2-0.

The Owls cut it to a 2-1 contest in the third inning when Lustrino singled to score Queja.

After the Hawks increased their lead back to a two-run margin in the seventh inning, the Owls lessened the gap once more when junior Foster Dunigan slapped a single to score Queja to make it a 3-2 game, which is how it would end.

Temple (12-20, 0-6) will look to snap a five-game losing streak when it returns to Skip Wilson Field on Friday when it opens its first Atlantic 10 Conference series on its home field this season when the Charlotte 49ers come to town. Friday's first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 3:00 p.m.