@Philabaseball
Temple traveled to Blacksburg, VA. for the Virginia Tech Tournament and won a pair of memorable contests, first on Saturday against the host Hokies and then on Sunday against Holy Cross.
Meanwhile, weather issues manipulated the schedule in Raleigh, N.C., forcing La Salle and Villanova to square off in a single Diamond 5 matchup that was won by the Wildcats.
Thursday's (2/21) capsules:
- Villanova vs. No. 10 North Carolina St.: This contest was originally scheduled for Friday but was bumped forward because of weather issues. The Wolfpack scored three runs in the first before blowing up the game in the third with six more runs en route to a 14-3 victory. Connor Jones finished with a pair of hits (2-for-4) and two runs scored for the Wildcats. Kevin MacLachlan (2.2 IP, 6 H, 9 R, 4 ER, 3 K, 3 BB) took the loss. Villanova committed five errors in the contest.
Friday's (2/22) capsules:
- Saint Joseph's vs. Virginia Commonwealth: The Rams scored the contest's lone run in the first inning, trumping the Hawks 1-0. Kyle Mullen tossed seven solid innings for St. Joe's, surrendering six hits and just the one run. He also notched seven strikeouts. Anthony Cirillo collected a pair of hits in the losing effort.
- Villanova vs. Wagner: Pat Young (6 IP, 7 H, 1 ER) looked impressive but the Wildcats' bullpen surrendered four runs, including a lone run in the 10th to fall to Wagner, 5-4. Tyler Sciacca finished 3-for-4 and Steve Schrenk added a pair of RBI.
Saturday's (2/23) capsules:
- Temple vs. No. 24 Virginia Tech: Derek Peterson collected three hits and three RBIs and the top of the Owls' lineup hit a combined 6-for-13 en route to an impressive 7-3 win over the No. 24 Hokies. Dan Moller (5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER) started and Eric Peterson (3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER) picked up the win in relief. The win marked just the third time since 1996 that the Owls have knocked off a ranked opponent.
- La Salle vs. No. 10 North Carolina St.: Carlos Rondon and Karl Keglovits tossed a combined no-hitter at the Wolfpack knocked off the Explorers, 5-0. La Salle's offense combined for 14 strikeouts. Mike McLeod (0.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER) took the loss in relief of Ryan Donohue (5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER).
- La Salle vs. Villanova: [Click here for full recap]
- Saint Joseph's vs. Virginia Commonwealth: Brian O'Keefe finished 3-for-4 but the Rams notched a run in the seventh to beat the Hawks, 3-2/ Kevin Burum (2 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 ER) took the loss.
Sunday's (2/24) capsules:
- Temple vs. Holy Cross: The Owls coughed up a seven run lead but scored four in the bottom of the ninth to edge past Holy Cross, 13-12. Henry Knabe collected the game-winning hit with a single in the final frame; he finished with three hits. Derek Peterson hit a three-run home run in the fourth to blow the game open early for the Owls. Nick Lustrino finished 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored.
- Temple vs. Holy Cross: The Owls scored three runs in the ninth but it was not enough, falling to Holy Cross in the second game of a double header 8-6. Henry Knabe collected a pair of hits and Jordan Queja chipped in with two hits and a run scored. Patrick Peterson (4 IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 7 K, 5 ER) took the loss.
- Saint Joseph's vs. Virginia Commonwealth: Similar to Friday's contest, the Rams scored two runs in the first inning en route to a 2-0 win over the Hawks. Greg Kumpel finished 2-for-4 for St. Joe's. Daniel Thorpe tossed six solid innings, scattering seven hits while striking out six in the loss.
- Patrick Gordon is the editor of the Philadelphia Baseball Review. Contact him at pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com or @Philabaseball on Twitter.
