Lehigh Scores Three Runs In The Seventh To Defeat Temple, 8-5

Tuesday, April 3

Ambler, Pa.

3:00 p.m.

Temple University

12-16

Lehigh

9-19-1

Lehigh

Temple

Lehigh Scores Three Runs In The Seventh To Defeat Temple, 8-5

4.3.12 | Baseball

Box Score

AMBLER - Freshman Nick Lustrino went 3-for-4 and the Owls pounded out 13 hits as a team, but fell to the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, 8-5, at Skip Wilson Field on Tuesday afternoon in a Liberty Bell Classic consolation game. Trailing 5-2, Temple used the fifth and sixth innings to generate enough offense to tie the game at five, but Lehigh posted a three-spot in the top of the seventh inning to propel itself to victory.

The Owls were the first on the board after scoring in the bottom of the first inning when junior Jordan Queja scored on a single by redshirt senior Steve Nikorak.

Temple held the lead going into the top of the third until Lehigh (9-19-1) scored two runs off of three hits.

Trailing 2-1 in the fourth, senior catcher Taylor Juran singled through the right side, followed by a base hit from sophomore Connor Reilly. A sacrifice bunt by Khan advanced the runners for the next batter Allen Stiles, who slapped another base hit to bring Juran across home plate to knot the game at two.

The Mountain Hawks answered back in the top of the fifth when they score three runs on two hits pulling their lead to 5-2.

Lustrino got the comeback started in the fifth inning with a single and advanced to second after a throwing error by Lehigh starting pitcher Colin Gotzon. A groundout by Nikorak allowed for Lustrino to move to third base. Juran's single through the right side scored Lustrino to help Temple cut the Lehigh lead to two runs heading into the top of the sixth.

Khan kept the offense surging when the Owls returned to the plate in the sixth. Khan started the inning with a single and advanced to third on a pinch-hit double by junior Elijah Yarborough after coming in to pinch hit for Allen Stiles.

With two runners in scoring position Foster Dunigan's sacrifice ground out scored Khan and advanced Yarborough to third. Queja provided the equalizer on his single to center field that scored Yarborough to tie the game again at five-all.

Lehigh came back strong seventh inning, scoring three run on three hits. Two of those runs came on of a single by Connor Faust.
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Freshman Eric Peterson (0-0) made his second start of the season on the hump for the Owls and earned a no decision once again. The rookie right-hander served four hits, struck out one, walked two. Only one of the two runs scored in his duration was charged to hm.

With the game tied at two, sophomore Ryan Davis came in for the Owls to begin the fifth.

The Mountain Hawks had his number from the start. Davis recorded a strikeout, but departed with one out inning and with the jammed with Mountain Hawk baserunners

Ryan Kuehn came in, going the next 2.2 innings. During his longest outing of the season, he recorded three strikeouts and one walk, but suffered the loss due to being charged with two of the three seventh inning Lehigh runs.

Redshirt junior Steve Visnic entered the game in the eighth and was tough to beat like he has been all season. Visnic allowed two singles while striking out three to hold the Mountain Hawks scoreless over the final two innings..

Temple reaches the midway point of its 56-game schedule and drops to 12-16 on the year. The Owls now return to Atlantic 10 Conference play when it heads to the Bronx, NY to take on Fordham this weekend. The series gets underway Friday morning at 11:00 a.m.. Saturday will feature a doubleheader beginning at Noon.