Temple University Athletics
LA SALLE SWEEPS TEMPLE IN A-10 SOFTBALL TWINBILL
4.9.05 | Softball
PHILADELPHIA -- If Temple is going to defend its Atlantic 10 Conference softball title, it is going to have to do it the hard way. The Owls, who have defeated regional and Ivy League power Princeton earlier in the week, were swept by La Salle, a team that finished dead last in the A-10 in 2004, on Saturday at the Explorers' Good Shepherd Field. Temple is now 11-21 overall and 0-4 in conference play. La Salle improves to 7-21-1, 2-4 in the A-10.
The day started off well for the Cherry and White as Aida Esquer roped a two-out single to right in the top of the first and fellow senior Laura Gutscher drove her home for the game's first run with a double to left. Sophomore hurler Richelle Villescas was dominant for the Owls in the early going, taking a no-hitter into the fourth inning.
Then the roof caved in.
Senior Sarah Punderson led off the fourth with a single to break up Villescas' no-hitter. Then senior Liz Greenfield blasted a two-run homer to left to give La Salle the lead. The Explorers plated a third run in the frame as Carissa Segura singled home Michelle Sullivan, who had tripled, making it 3-1 for the home team.
Villescas, who moved into a tie for fifth place on the school's alltime strikeout list (205) with Angela Cardamone (1990-93), settled down and retired the final eight batters she faced, but the damage was done. Temple managed just one more run, courtesy of an RBI single by Adrienne Repsher in the sixth that scored Gutscher, who reached on a two-base error. Sophomore Laura DeZolt notched her third win of the season, allowing just one earned run while striking out seven.
Temple's offense was even more anemic in the nightcap as the Owls mustered just six hits and were held scoreless by Segura (3-10), who recorded her second shutout of the season.
The fourth again was the downfall for Villescas, who took a no-hitter into the inning for the second straight contest. This time it was Segura, who drove in Greenfield and Sullivan with a two-run single to account for all of the runs in the contest.
The Owls had two opportunities. Sophomore Brandie Mora was stranded at third after belting a triple with one-out in the first. Following a one-out walk to Shawn Casey and a single by Melissa McCartney in the fifth, the Owls had two runners on. After an Amanda Carver groundout advanced them to second and third, Segura got Brittany Burks to fly to left to end the threat.
Freshman Jen Nacianceno relieved Villescas (10-13) in the fourth and allowed just two hits over two and two-thirds innings while striking out three.
Temple will make its New England road trip next weekend, taking on Rhode Island Friday and conference power Massachusetts Sunday in doubleheaders.
