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Box Score 2 UNO-Temple Box Scores - Game 1 · Game 2
NEW ORLEANS – Temple posted a pair of wins over the University of New Orleans on Saturday, claiming a 9-5 victory in 11 innings in the afternoon before posting an 11-2 victory in the nightcap at Maestri Field.
TU (20-16) utilized late game heroics from Steve Nikorak in the first game to prevail. Nikorak hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning before scoring the go-ahead run in the 11th to lift the Owls to a
Nikorak's blast off of Cody Landry tied the game at five in the ninth with the third baseman scoring on a Jabair Khan single two innings later. Nikorak was 3-for-6 in the game with three RBIs while Byron McKoy added a 4-for-6 outing from the lead-off position.
UNO (3-36) had battled back from an early 3-1 deficit with a four-run fifth inning. The Privateers took advantage of a trio of walks and two wild pitches issued by TU starter Brant Norlander to post a crooked number on the board.
A bases-loaded double Blake DesRoches tallied the final three runs of the frame, while ending Norlander's day. DesRoches finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBIs to join teammates Nolan Church and Jake Palmisano with two hits.
Norlander walked eight Privateers in 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and five runs.
UNO starter Tyler Sanders pitched as the Owls left 10 players on base during his first six innings on the mound. The senior lasted 7 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on 12 hits while striking out seven.
Landry provided the game-tying run to Nikorak over his 2 2/3 innings with Garrett Manning (0-5) yielding four runs, including the go-ahead run in his lone inning of work.
Steve Visnic (2-1) picked up the victory in relief of Norlander. Visnic allowed four hits over six innings, striking out seven.
In the nightcap, an error-filled second inning allowed TU to score five runs in the frame. Two miscues by the Privateers coupled with four Owl hits and a walk provided the offensive outburst.
TU added another run in the fourth inning and four in the sixth against Church, making his first collegiate start. Church (0-2) allowed 10 runs – six earned – on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings before handing the ball over to Cory Hoffman.
Hoffman allowed a single run in the sixth before keeping the Owls at bay over the next three innings.
Elijah Yarborough and Daniel Dragos led the Owls with matching 3-for-5 performances at the plate. Yarborough along with Nikorak scored two runs in the game with Nikorak adding three RBIs to his tally on the day.
UNO picked up seven hits in seven innings against TU starter Tyler Horst (1-0) while striking out five times. Ryan Davis pitched the final two innings, allowing two runs in the final frame.
DesRoches added a 2-for-2 effort to his two hits in the opening game to lead UNO, posting one of the two runs in the ninth. Steffan Farrell added the second run on a Alex Parra groundout.
The two teams will conclude the four-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
