April 9, 2011
Box Score
AMBLER, PA – Trailing 5-0 in the sixth inning, the La Salle baseball team rallied with a pair of four-run frames to upend Temple 8-6 on a picturesque Saturday afternoon at Skip Wilson Field.
“We battled hard today,” said head coach Mike Lake. “We got some timely hits when we needed them and our pitching staff grinded it out against a tough lineup.”
Trailing 5-0 in the sixth, La Salle’s offense came alive with RBI’s from Zack Feierstein and Joe Bennie. Two other Explorers were able to score on a wild pitch and a throwing error to trim Temple’s lead to just one run.
Kevin Fuqua got the start for La Salle on the hill and did his best to hold down a potent Temple lineup that leads the conference in hitting. The righty lasted 5.1 innings and allowed six runs (six earned) off 12 hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
“I was very proud of Kevin today,” Lake added. “Temple jumped on him early but he threw up three zeros after that and I think it really showed the type character he has.”
Dominic Sgroi came on in relief of Fuqua and escaped a bases loaded jam in the sixth and pitched scoreless frames in the seventh and eighth to earn his second win of the season.
“Dom is an 18-year old freshman, but he pitches like he’s 26,” said Lake. “We trust him in those situations and he came through for us today.”
The Explorers (16-13, 3-4) continued to chip away and eventually took the lead with another big inning in the eighth, scoring four runs off Temple starter Ben White (3-5), who suffered the loss.
With two outs and down 0-2 in the count, Dan Klem went the other way and knocked home a clutch two-run single that tied the game at 6-6. Klem went 3-for-5 in the game with a run scored and two RBI.
After Brendan Norton scored on a wild pitch to give La Salle the lead during the next at bat, Jeff Flax, gave the Explorers an insurance run with an RBI single that scored Klem and put the La Salle on top 8-6.
Pat Christensen came on in the ninth and pitched a perfect frame to earn his conference-best eighth save of the season.
La Salle and Temple will continue the series on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at noon. LHP Eric Van Wyk and RHP Cody Weiss are scheduled to start for the Explorers. RHP Brant Norlander and RHP Matt Hockenberry will be on the bump for Temple.
