Temple University Athletics
Repsher Matches All-Time Record, but Owls Fall Late in Marathon to Delaware State, 13-12
3.21.07 | Softball
March 21, 2007
DOVER, DE - Senior Adrienne Repsher slammed the 13th homerun of her Temple (4-11) career, and knocked in a game-high five runs, but the Owls' late rally was all for naught in a 13-12 loss to Delaware State (3-15) in game two of a doubleheader Wednesday night.
With two runners on and no outs in the top half of the first, Repsher sliced a homerun over the left-centerfield fence and supplied the Cherry and White with an early three-run advantage. The long-ball, her fourth of the season, moves her into a tie for first all-time on Temple's career homerun list with former Owl Lynsey Grace (2001-04).
Temple true freshman Ashley Smuda (3-6) inherited a three-run deficit, at 12-9, in the fourth inning, but kept the Owls afloat before surrendering the game's go-ahead run in the bottom half of the sixth inning. Smuda lasted three innings and struck out three in the loss.
On cruise control through two full innings, Smuda retired the first two batters of the sixth before Delaware State's Ashley Fisher lined a double into the outfield. One batter later, Megan Lambertz's RBI single supplied the hosts with the game's decisive run.
As the Owls trailed and second-year head coach Casey Dickson motioned to the bullpen in relief of sophomore Katie Burdeaux, Smuda emerged from the Temple dugout and nearly pulled a rabbit out her hat. With the sacks packed full of Hornets and just one out, the Scottsdale, Ariz. native induced a fly-out from Candice Shockley and sent Sha Tabor down swinging. Smuda' efforts kept Delaware State at bay while the Temple offense slowly mounted its largest comeback of the season.
After Repsher's first inning blast, true freshman hurler Shannon James lasted just two outs as the Hornets hung a nine-spot on the rookie in the first frame. Delaware State's offensive attack was highlighted by a three-run double down the left field line from Cat Ansbach and a Shockley two-run single through the infield. Not in the support of the Temple cause, James and relief hurler junior Brianna Dairy uncorked a combined four wild pitches.
In an eight-run hole after the Hornets plated two more in the bottom half of the second, the Cherry and White scored nine runs over the next four innings en route to knotting the score at 12 tallies apiece. After Repsher doubled home senior Jessica Rohn in the third, junior Natalie Wagner's ground-out scored the senior first baseman cutting the Hornets' lead to 12-5.
Staring at a seven-run deficit with the offensive momentum building, junior Amanda Carver slammed a lead-off triple off the rightfield fence to start the fourth. Rohn's single scored Carver before Repsher's second double of the game cut the lead to 12-7. Following sophomore Courtney Norene's ground-out to shortstop, Burdeaux's two-out, opposite field, two-run homerun put the Owls within three-run striking distance heading into the final three frames.
After silent plate appearances on both ends in the fifth, Repsher walked to lead off the top half of the sixth before Norene singled into rightfield. Repsher would later score on a Delaware State throwing error before true freshman Krystle Metzler's RBI single plated Norene. The Cherry and White finally completed the comeback after sophomore Nicole Lee's single back through the box plated Smuda for the game's equalizer.
One batter later with the Owls looking to take their first advantage of the game, Carver lined a seed down the chalk that was snagged by Tabor at first base and then turned into an inning-ending double-play as Lee was left stranded.
In addition to Repsher's record-tying homerun, with her five RBI-performance, the senior's 17 runs knocked in this campaign already eclipses her season-total in 2006 (16).
After four games in Arizona, four in Oklahoma and five in Florida, the Cherry and White finally make their home schedule debut on Sunday, March 25 as the Atlantic 10 Conference slate begins against Charlotte at noon. Game two of the doubleheader with the 49ers is slated to start at 2:00 p.m.
