Knabe's Three Doubles Help Baseball Storm Back From Four Runs Down To Beat Villanova, 7-6

Tuesday, April 30

Villanova, PA

3:15 p.m.

Temple University

Villanova

Photo by: Mitchell Leff

Knabe's Three Doubles Help Baseball Storm Back From Four Runs Down To Beat Villanova, 7-6

4.30.13 | Baseball

Box Score

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – Temple rallied back from Villanova's four-run lead in the eighth inning by scoring five runs to pull off a 7-6 come-from-behind win over the Wildcats on Tuesday. The Owls won their second game against Villanova this year to pull off the season series sweep. Senior third baseman Henry Knabe led the Owls offensively, going 3-for-3 with all of his hits being doubles. Knabe was the hero for the Owls with his bases-clearing double in the eighth. The game-winning slug was the 100th hit of Knabe's career. The senior knocked in four runs to power the Owls past Villanova.

Behind a strong outing from junior Matt Hockenberry, the Owls supported him with two run through his first five innings of work, but when the righty returned in the sixth, the Wildcats their way with him.

Sophomore Nick Lustrino provided an offensive spark against Villanova as he batted 2-for-4 and scored two runs on the day. Lustrino, who now has reached base in 14-straight games, has 26 runs scored on the year which is good enough for second on the team behind teammate Jordan Queja, who will not play again this season due to fracturing his arm (April 19).

After VU's Brandon Clark flied out to open the home half of the frame, Hockenberry loaded the bases for Tyler Sciacca, who is the Wildcats' leading hitter. With the bases loaded, Sciacca cleared them and put Villanova in front when he took a 1-0 pitch into the gap out in right center field. At that point, Hockenberry's day was over, finishing with a line that totaled four runs on four hits and one walk in 5.1 innings of work. He struck out five of the 21 batters he faced.

Freshman Connor Staskey took over and limited the damage. After allowing the Sciacca to score an inherited run, the only other run scored was not charged to his line, as it occurred on a wild pitch and a followed by a throwing error.

Villanova increased its lead to game-high four runs in the seventh when Paul Rambaud scored an unearned run off redshirt senior Steve Visnic, who made his 99th career pitching appearances. But, then Temple would have its turn to explode for its own five-run inning.

Freshman Jimmy Kerrigan got the comeback underway with a single and would later score on senior Elijah Yarborough's pinch-hit base-hit. The Owls continued to get baserunners, as junior Bobby Heitzman drew a walk. Junior Derek Peterson reached on a fielder's choice, resulting in Yarborough being thrown out at home. D'Acunti would make it a two-run game on a pass ball, then Lustrino jammed the bases after being awarded first for being beamed by a pitch to set up the game-winning hit for Knabe.

Redshirt junior Ryan Kuehn pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his fourth save of the team, which leads the team. Kuehn has not allowed a run to cross the plate in his last six consecutive appearances lowering his ERA below 2.40 which leads the team this season.

After Temple's come-from -behind win puts its record at 17-23 on the year, while Villanova falls to 11-32. The Owls have off until Friday where they will open up a three-game Atlantic 10 weekend set at Richmond. The series gets underway with the first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m.