SENIORS PROVIDE HEROICS IN FINAL HOME GAME TO GAIN SPLIT WITH GW IN SOFTBALL

AMBLER, PA -- Senior Day is always a special day in college athletics, but for the three Temple Owls softball seniors, Aida Esquer, Laura Gutscher and Melissa McCartney, it was a memory that will last a lifetime.  McCartney, who suffered a season-ending knee injury Friday, provided inspirational leadership by starting the first game of the twinbill, only to be removed following the game's first pitch.  Gutscher hit her fourth homer of the season to put Temple ahead 1-0 in the second game while Esquer, in her last at-bat as a collegian, connected on a walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Owls to a 3-1 win and a split of their final doubleheader.  GW won the opener, 7-3.

Esquer's blast, her third in the last eight games, gave the Owls shortstop a team-high five for the season.  The Temple shortstop also ended up leading the squad in hitting (.261) and RBI (18).  Gutscher, who broke up GW pitcher Jen Hrycyna's (7-12) perfect game with her solo shot in the fifth, had singled just prior to Esquer's homer. Esquer also had a fifth inning single as the two seniors accounted for all four hits against Hrycyna in the contest.

The two seniors heroics overshadowed a stellar pitching performance by Temple freshman Jen Nacianceno (2-7).  It was the Porterville, Calif. native's second win of the season and second straight strong start.  She allowed just two hits and struck out seven while retiring 10 batters in succession from the second to the sixth.  A solo homer by Lindsay Cohen in the seventh ruined her shutout bid.

In the first game, Elana Myers went 4-for-5 including a homer to right to start the game to lead the Colonials.  Myers, who scored three runs in the games, started a three-run first for GW, which racked up 15 hits against TU ace Richelle Villescas (14-18).

Temple scored all three of its runs in the third inning to cut the deficit to 4-3.  Esquer delivered the big blow, driving in Brandie Mora and Adrienne Repsher, both of whom singled, with a double.  Makeala Compton then plated Gutscher with a RBI groundout.

GW (10-32, 5-9) scored solo runs in the next three innings to close out the win for pitcher Katie Miller.

The Owls, which won the Atlantic 10 Conference championship in 2004, closed out the 2005 season with a 16-29 record, 4-12 in A-10 play.

Temple University Athletics

SENIORS PROVIDE HEROICS IN FINAL HOME GAME TO GAIN SPLIT WITH GW IN SOFTBALL

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