Peterson and Dragos Carry Baseball To 9-3 Win Over Lehigh; Advance To Liberty Bell Classic Semifinal

Wednesday, March 27

Skip Wilson Field

3:00 PM

Temple University

9-11

Lehigh (Liberty Bell Classic)

11-10

Lehigh

Temple

Photo by: Mitchell Leff

Peterson and Dragos Carry Baseball To 9-3 Win Over Lehigh; Advance To Liberty Bell Classic Semifinal

3.27.13 | Baseball

Box Score

AMBLER— Junior Derek Peterson went 3-for-4 out of the cleanup spot with a pair of RBI doubles and redshirt junior Daniel Dragos had his comeback game with three RBIs in a 2-for-4 day to help Temple defeat Lehigh, 9-3, in Wednesday's Liberty Bell Classic Quartefinal at Skip Wilson Field. By virtue of Delaware's, 17-3, win over Saint Joseph's, the Owls will face the Blue Hens next Tuesday (April 2) in Newark for the semifinal matchup and for a chance to play under the lights of Citizens Bank Park on April 16.

In the first inning after Temple's first three batters were given free passes, Dragos, who had his most productive game since returning from an injury that kept him out all of last season, clipped a single into left field to bring senior Jordan Queja home for the game's first run.

With their free passes in the first inning. Queja and Lustrino keep their reaching base safely streaks alive. The one-hole and two-hole hitter in head coach Ryan Wheeler's batting order have still reached base at least once in every game this season. Queja, who ended the 2012 season with four straight, now has 24 straight games of getting on base dating back to last season.

The Mountain Hawks matched TU's output when McCarthy took over for Dian. After Tyler Brong flied out, Lehigh's next two hitters reached base, setting Patrick Walshe up for the sacrifice fly to score Joe Abeln.

Wednesday's game against the Mountain Hawks featured a total of 13 pitchers between the teams. Sophomore Adam Dian made his first start of the season for the Owls. Getting the first three innings, Dian looked strong, as he rung up three Lehigh hitters on strikes and put together a 1,2,3 inning in the second. Dian's line closed with no runs or no walks allowed and three hits. Six more pitchers saw action for the Owls on this day, all getting one inning of work.

Freshman Tim McCarthy notched his first win of his collegiate career, courtesy of his catcher Andrew Nist forcing in a run on a ground out with the bases loaded in the fourth inning.

For redshirt sophomore Phil Gianakos, Wednesday was the day he had been waiting for. After rehabbing an injury he sustained in his arm prior to the start of last season, the end of a long, hard road for Gianakos came to an end. At the start of the fifth inning, he was called out of the bullpen, which marked his return to the hill for the first time since starting at Delaware back on May 11, 2011. The right-hander from Lebanon, N.J., who was s poised to have a strong return, came in and shut the door on the Mountain Hawks, as he set them down in order.

After the Owls went in front in their half of the frame and put up an insurance run in the fifth, Lehigh gave freshman Connor Staskey a hard time, as it hit him up for two runs to bring the deficit back to a one-run (4-3) Temple lead.

When the Owls went to the plate, they distanced themselves from the Mountain Hawks by throwing up a three-spot. Bobby Heitzman got the rally started with a base hit to lead off the inning and elater scored when Queja grounded into a fielder's choice. Queja took off and snagged second base before senior Henry Knabe hit a towering shot to deep right field, helping him to a triple. Alone on the basepaths, Peterson followed with a double into shallow center field to send Knabe home.

In the team's final at bat, Peterson ripped another double and Dragos slapped a single to tack on two more runs to make it the enviable 9-3 lead.

Temple improved to 9-11 on the year and to 5-2 in games at Skip Wilson Field this season. The Owls will now make their way to the nation's capital, where it will battle the George Washington Colonials in the second weekend of Atlantic 10 Conference play. Game one of the set gets underway Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.