Stiles Bails Owls Out To Get 6-3 Win In 13 Innings At UMass

Friday, April 27

Amherst, Mass.

3:00 p.m.

Temple University

15-26, 3-10

Massachusetts

15-15, 8-5

Temple

Massachusetts

Stiles Bails Owls Out To Get 6-3 Win In 13 Innings At UMass

4.27.12 | Baseball

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. – Like Wednesday's game, Temple went into its ninth inning at bat trailing by a run, but things were different this time around on Friday at Massachusetts. Compliments of junior Allen Stiles, the Owls found a way to get the job the done, as they tied the ballgame in the ninth inning and pulled out their first Atlantic 10 series-opening win of the season in the 13th inning, winning by a count of 6-3 at Earl Lorden Field.

In a 3-2 game, Stiles, who has been hot since being placed in the starting lineup last Saturday against Richmond, came through with a game-tying RBI-double to score redshirt junior Matt Elko to deadlock the score at three, forcing extra innings.

Playing into the 13th frame, Stiles got the bat again—this time with the bases loaded—and smacked a single up the middle to score David Hall and Bobby Heitzman, putting the Owls up 5-3.

Elko scored later in the inning, giving Temple the 6-3 win, marking the first time it has won an Atlantic 10 series-opening game this season

In the 12th, UMass was a hit away from walking off with the win. The Minutemen had the game-winning run at third base in Dylan Begin and Nick Sanford over on the other corner.

With the two men on and no one out, Lustrino laid out and made a sensational game-saving grab on Rich Graef's hack.

After an intentional walk to load the bases, Adie flied out to left field. On the relay, Nikorak fired home to senior Taylor Juran to get the out and keep the Owls alive heading into the 13th.

Senior Dan Moller, who started for the Owls, got run support right off the bat and it gave him confidence, as he went on to toss his best performance of the season. Moller went a career-long 7.1 innings of work, while striking out a career-high seven batters, despite allowing UMass' only three runs.

In the top of the first inning, redshirt senior Steve Nikorak singled to lead off the game and later scored in the inning when junior Jordan Queja laid down the sacrifice bunt. The Owls nearly put up a two-spot to open the game, but a play at the plate when freshman Nick Lustrino attempted to score limited them to just the one run.

The Minutemen took the lead in the second inning, courtesy of three hits and two Temple errors, but Nikorak came up with the big blast in the fifth inning with a solo home run out to right field to knot the game at two. The round-tripper was Nikorak's second in the last three games and gives him four on the year, which leads the team.

UMass was relentless, as it took back its lead in the eighth. With one out, the Minutemen had two on base, chasing Moller out of the ballgame and to force freshman Eric Peterson to come out of the bullpen. Alex Tuneski came up and knocked a hit up the middle, to score Kyle Adie.

Peterson came in to pitch 5.2 innings and was effective to claim his first collegiate victory.

Temple will look to take the series from UMass on Saturday when the two teams resume the series at 1:00 p.m. Sophomore Matt Hockenberry will take the hill for the Owls where he will be opposed by right-hander Glen Misho.