Box Score UNO-Temple Box Score
NEW ORLEANS – Temple opened up a four-game series on the Lakefront by defeating the University of New Orleans 13-2 on Friday night at Maestri Field.
Ben White (4-6) lasted eight innings for TU (18-16), allowing two runs on six hits, while striking out six.
White's effort was supported by an Owls' offense that pounded out 16 hits and boosted their team batting average by hitting .400 as a team. TU entered the game ranked second in the nation with a .343 batting average and third in scoring with 8.6 runs per contest.
Ben Flanary was 2-for-5 with five RBIs with Ryan Ferguson adding four RBIs on a 3-for-6 outing at the plate for TU. Daniel Dragos added three hits with four different players scoring two runs apiece for the owls
Andrew Garcia hit a fourth inning home run for UNO (3-34), providing half of the runs for the hosts. Garcia went 2-for-4 to lead the Privateers, who added a run in the eighth when Beau Boudreaux came home on a wild pitch by White.
Three straight extra-base hits by TU greeted Privateer starter Zach Kelt (1-8) at the onset of the game.
Kelt would hold the Owls off the scoreboard for the next two innings before the guests tallied three more runs in the fourth, taking advantage of an error and a double down the left field line that hopped over the outstretched glove of UNO third baseman Michael Ballero.
Kelt left after the fourth, allowing five runs – three earned – on seven hits before being replaced by Robert Ormsbee. Ormsbee allowed three runs in the fifth before settling down and keeping TU off the scoreboard over his next two innings, departing the game with the Owls ahead 8-1.
TU scored five more runs in the eighth off of Jordan Nelson, before Jonathan Jeanice retired the side in order in the ninth.
The four-game series between UNO and TU will continue on Saturday with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
