Tuesday at Skip Wilson Field, the Penn bullpen imploded.
The Quakers fell to Temple in a 14-3 struggle.
With Penn (3-7) and the Owls (9-5) tied at two in the bottom of the fifth inning, sophomore relief pitcher John Beasley took over the game.
Beasley, who hadn’t allowed a run in his last four relief outings, threw out the first batter of the inning on a grounder to third base. However, trouble ensued when Atlantic 10 and Big 5 Baseball Player of the Week Adrian Perez stepped up to the plate.
Perez drove a single past freshman second baseman Brandon Engelhardt, igniting a rally that plated three runs and launched the Owls into an offensive overdrive that lasted through the rest of the game.
Temple continued to light up Beasley in the sixth when leadoff hitter Cameron Green hit a home run.
“He got some balls up, and he got behind in the count and they made him pay,” Penn coach John Cole said.
After giving up two walks to the next two hitters, Beasley was pulled from the game.
“We just had trouble throwing strikes [and] getting them where we wanted them to be,” senior catcher Will Davis said.
However, changing pitchers did not relieve the Quakers from the Owls’ relentless offense, which boasts a whopping 10 hitters with a batting average above .350.
Alex Ott, Penn’s freshman submarine pitcher, intentionally walked Steve Nikorak to load the bases and then let a grounder roll through his legs, allowing another run to score.
“[We used] a lot of pitchers,” Davis said. “So it was tough for [them] to get into a mental rhythm.”
The Quakers used their third pitcher of the inning to try and get the final out with the entrance of sophomore Kirk Hayes. But things only got worse as the Owls tacked on three more hits and four more runs against the righty.
The Owls’ exploding offense completely overshadowed that of the Quakers. Penn has now allowed its opponent to score first in eight of its first ten games so far this season.
“Our M.O. seems to be giving a first inning lead, and we’ve got to stop that,” Cole said.
The Red and Blue earned three runs and nine hits, but stranded ten men on base.
“We’re just having trouble getting in a rhythm early in the game,” Davis said. “We’re kind of laying down for the first couple innings before we really get going.”
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.