Sloppy Defense Leads To 6 Errors In Temple's 12-7 Setback To La Salle In A-10 Series Finale

Sunday, April 7

Skip Wilson Field

1:00 p.m.

Temple University

11-16, 3-6

La Salle

11-17, 6-3

La Salle

Temple

Photo by: Mitchell Leff

Sloppy Defense Leads To 6 Errors In Temple's 12-7 Setback To La Salle In A-10 Series Finale

4.7.13 | Baseball

Box Score

AMBLER, Pa. – Looking for its first series win of the season, Temple Baseball scored in the first two innings to take a 4-2 lead on La Salle, but the Explorers scored six straight runs to take a commanding lead en route to handing the Owls a 12-7 loss at Skip Wilson Field on Sunday afternoon.

Senior Jordan Queja batted 4-for-5 to extend his on base streak to 31 consecutive games dating back to last season. Queja, who has reached base safely in all 27 games this season, had a pair of singles, a double and a ninth inning home run, to deliver two RBIs in his season-best game.

On Sunday, the two teams combined for 24 hits, but the Explorers were more efficient with their offense as they scored a season-high 12 runs with the help of six Temple errors, which a season-most for the Cherry and the White.

Queja was one of three players to homer in the ballgame. La Salle junior center fielder George Smith, Jr. tied the contest at two in the top of the second inning when he blasted a solo shot off of Temple starter Dan Moller. Freshman Frank D'Agostino put the Owls right back in front when he took the first pitch of the inning from LU's Shawn O'Neil over the right field wall.

After blowing a 2-0 lead, the Owls regained their two-run advantage on Queja's first base hit of the game, which scored senior Allen Stiles.

La Salle hit Moller hard, as it scored five runs during the left-hander's 2.0 innings of work. Of the five, three were charged to Moller's line, who was lifted in relief of junior Preston Hill in the beginning of the third inning.

Hill couldn't stop the bleeding, as the Explorers tacked on two more runs while he threw from the mound.

O'Neil went only 3.0 innings for the Explorers, before being replaced by Adam Cherry, who pitched from the fourth inning into the first out of the seventh inning, allowing him to earn the win.

Trailing 8-4, sophomore Nick Lustrino broke out of an 0-for-3 day with a double into deep left center field to score Queja and senior Henry Knabe to cut it to a manageable two-run deficit in the seventh inning.

La Salle head coach Mike Lake made several trips to the mound in the seventh, making three pitching changes. Dominick Sgroi and Joey Rapert each faced one batter in the frame before Pat Christensen came in for the remainder of the game for the Explorers. Christensen, who earned the victory in Friday's series opener, was credited with a three-inning save on Sunday.

When La Salle went back to the dish to face junior Matt Hockenberry, the Explorers regained their lead and then increased it to its largest of the day after a pair of singles and a fielder's choice, which caused three more runs to come across to make it 12-6.

La Salle senior Dan Klem led the Blue and Gold with three hits in six plate appearances and shortstop Kevin Baron out of the two-hole provided four runs batted in in his 2-for-5 day against Temple pitching.

Down six in their final at bat, the Owls had one last chance to make a rally. Queja looked to get it going, as he hammered a pitch from Christensen over the left field wall, but it would be all the offense the Owls would be able to manufacture.

With the loss, Temple is still yet to win a series in 2013, causing them to fall to 11-16 overall and to 3-6 in Atlantic 10 Conference play. La Salle improves to 11-17 on the year and to 6-3 in league play.

The Owls will get back to work on Wednesday afternoon, as they continue the homestand at Skip Wilson Field with a 3:00 p.m. first pitch against Saint Peter's. The game will be broadcasted live on OwlAccess.