Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE SOFTBALL TAKES TWO AT DAYTON; SECURES NO. 2 SEED AT A-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS
5.3.02 | Softball
The victories secure Temple, under the direction of fifth-year head coach Rocci Pignoli, the No. 2 seed at the Atlantic 10 Championships to be held in Kingston, R.I., May 9-11. Massachusetts (18-0 A-10, three league games remaining) has already clinched the top seed. Rhode Island (11-7 A-10, three league games remaining), Dayton (10-10 A-10, one league game remaining) and Saint Joseph's (9-8 A-10, three or four league games remaining) are vying for the third and fourth seeds.
Dayton left six runners on base in the final two innings of game two, and three in the final two innings of game one.
In game one, the Flyers got on the board first with a RBI fielder's choice by Tiffany Ward to bring home Angie Barney, who singled.
Temple picked up three runs in the second on a triple by Ashley Caudill and a double by Katie Weigle, and tacked on another in the sixth when a pickoff attempt at third base went wild.
In the bottom of the sixth, Dayton scored one run. Tracie Weinheimer delivered a single with two on to load the bases. An error by the second baseman allowed one run to score, but TU starter Bari Pflueger escaped forcing a groundout by Maegan Swisher.
Pflueger picked up the win allowing four hits and one earned run, surviving four errors by her defense.
Temple struck first in game two with a run in the top of the first, as Pflueger delivered an RBI single. The Owls tacked on two more in the second, on two hits and an error.
UD rallied for two runs in the sixth, Kerry White singled to lead off the inning. Barney followed with a bunt single to short. After Ward walked to load the bases, Weinheimer delivered her second big single of the day - again through the middle - to plate two runs. But Temple starter Liz Naughton got out of the jam with a strike out.
In the seventh, UD loaded the bases on a single by Anna Poeppelman, a error on Barney's shot up the middle, and a walk to Cassie Gross. But again, Naughton got a two-out strikeout to leave the bases loaded. Naughton struck out seven on the day, allowing six hits.
The Flyers' Dana Campbell took the loss in both games, giving up one earned run on five hits in game two. She struck out three and walked none. In the first game, she allowed three earned runs on eight hits, striking out six and walking one.
Temple and Dayton conlude their three-game set with a single contest tomorrow, Saturday, May 4. First pitch is set for 11:00 a.m.
