Nikorak Delivers; Owls Storm Back To Defeat 49ers, 6-4, To Get First A-10 Win

Saturday, April 14

Ambler, Pa.

1:00 p.m.

Temple University

13-21, 1-7

Charlotte

15-20, 3-8

Charlotte

Temple

Nikorak Delivers; Owls Storm Back To Defeat 49ers, 6-4, To Get First A-10 Win

4.14.12 | Baseball

Box Score

Series finale set for Sunday at Noon

AMBLER – With the bases jammed in the bottom of the eighth inning and trailing by a run, redshirt senior Steve Nikorak smashed a bases-clearing three-run double to give the Owls a 5-4 lead over the Charlotte 49ers on Saturday at Skip Wilson Field. Nikorak scored an insurance run later in the inning and the 6-4 lead would hold up for the win, due in parts to senior Brian Sustersic striking out both batters he faced and to nail down the door in the ninth to notch his fifth career save, moving himself into a tie for ninth place all-time at Temple. With the victory, the Owls nab their first Atlantic 10 Conference win of the season and Ryan Wheeler gets his first league win of his head coaching career.

Getting the start in the DH position, junior Henry Knabe proved his worth in the lineup, ripping a pitch all the way to the center field wall to drive in two runs on his triple. On the play, senior Jabair Khan and redshirt freshman Connor Reilly crossed the plate to give the Owls an early 2-0 lead in the second inning.

Khan led off the fifth inning with an infield single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, giving him the second longest streak by a Temple player this season. Classmate Taylor Juran began the season with at least one hit in each of the first 11 ballgames of the year.

Charlotte would make it a game in the third inning, as Justin Roland singled and then scored from first on Leland Clemmons' double to make it a 2-1 contest.

Clemmons has been unhittable so far this weekend. On Saturday, the 49er center fielder went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs. In the sixth, Clemmons tripled and later stole home plate and gave Charlotte its first lead of the game at 3-2 as Corbin Shive was taking his stride toward first after being issued a walk. Through the two games this weekend, Clemmons is batting 5-for-6 with four extra-base hits and four runs scored.

Owls' starter Matt Hockenberry departed from the ballgame after the sixth. Having an exceptionally strong outing, Hockenerry struck out four and surrendered six hits.

Charlotte took an insurance run off of Brant Norlander in the top half of the seventh, but redshirt junior Steve Visnic would come on in relief to hold the 49ers scoreless during his appearance, like he has done often in 2012.

Visnic pitched the final two outs of the seventh through the first out of the ninth, earning him the victory, compliments of Nikorak's big blast in the bottom of the eighth. On the year, Visnic is 2-1 and a slim 1.23 ERA.

Temple (13-21, 1-7) and Charlotte (15-20, 3-8) will close out the weekend series in the rubber match game on Sunday at Noon. Freshman southpaw Patrick Peterson will start for the Owls and will be looking to get the team its first A-10 series win since the final weekend of the 2010 season. Throwing for the 49ers will be right-hander Tyler Barnette. Watch the action live on Owl Access.