Series Sweep Of UMass Slips Away In Extra Innings; Owls Suffer 5-4 Setback In The 12th

Sunday, April 29

Amherst, Mass.

Noon

Temple University

16-27, 4-11

Massachusetts

16-16, 9-6

Temple

Massachusetts

Photo by: Mitchell Leff

Series Sweep Of UMass Slips Away In Extra Innings; Owls Suffer 5-4 Setback In The 12th

4.29.12 | Baseball

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. – Batting around and putting up a four-spot in the fifth inning looked as if Temple would be well on its way to a weekend series sweep over Atlantic 10 Conference rival Massachusetts on the road, but a run scored in the seventh and two costly errors led to a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth by the Minutemen, forcing the game into extra innings where all hope ended for the Owls, as they fell, 5-4, in the 12th on Tom Conley's walk-off RBI double at Earl Lorden Field on Sunday afternoon.

Holding a 4-2 lead, senior Brian Sustersic entered for a routine save situation, but failed to convert an opportunity for the first time in his Temple career. Going on to pitch the final 3.1 innings, Sustersic fell as the victim for the loss, as he left the game after issuing Anthony Serino a base hit to represent the game-winning run.

UMass got on the board first, scoring a run in the third inning off of Owls' starter freshman southpaw Patrick Peterson. Nick Sanford took a leadoff walk after being hit by a pitch and later scored on a two-out RBI single by Kyle Adie.

In the fifth, the Owls took advantage of a rare opportunity in which UMass starter Joe Popielarczyk struggled to get out of. The A-10 leader in ERA and fewest runs allowed, was the victim of a four-run barrage by the Owls.

Capped off by a leadoff double by senior Jabair Khan, Temple loaded the basses with nobody out. With redshirt junior Matt Elko and junior Allen Stiles also on base, junior Foster Dunigan poked a base hit through the left side to force in Khan to tie the ballgame at one.

With the bases still jammed and no one out, Popielarczyk pitched around redshirt senior Steve Nikorak, who came into the game with a homer in each of the first two games of the series. A ball four on the 3-1 count, forced in Elko to put Temple ahead and Nikorak at first with a walk.

The bleeding continued on one of the more bizarre plays you'll see when freshman Nick Lustrono drilled the first base umpire, who was standing in the middle of the infield. The ball went into right field, allowing Stiles to trot home to increase the Owls' lead to a two-run deficit.

UMass started to work its way out of the Owls' threat as it was able to get junior Elijah Yarborough to ground into a fielder's choice, setting up an opportunity for the second out at the plate, as Dunigan was thrown out on the advance.

Junior Henry Knabe slapped a single to the short stop, sending Nikorak home to give the Owls the last of the offense they would be able to muster the rest of the day, carrying a threatening 4-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth.

Peterson had another fantastic outing, completing a consistent weekend by the Owls' starting pitchers. The rookie from Bear, Del. let up six hits and just two runs—one charged— keeping the Owls in the ballgame. Over his outing, he struck out four Minutemen and surrendered one walk.

In a 4-2 game, Sustersic came on to close it out and look for his seventh save of the year, but two unearned runs, compliments of errors by Khan and Lustrino in the inning, helped UMass knot the game at four.

Despite the loss, the Owls, now 4-11 in conference play, still clinch their first A-10 series since taking two-of-three back on May 20-22, 2010 at St. Bonaventure.

Overall, the Owls fall to 16-27 on the year and will wrap up their home stretch on Tuesday with Big 5 rival Villanova out in Plymouth Meeting. First pitch will happen at 3:15 p.m. Probable starters and a preview of the matchup will be available on Monday.