Temple University Athletics
Owls Set For Battle In The Bronx
4.5.07 | Softball
April 5, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - The Temple softball team (6-11, 2-0), under the direction of second-year head coach Casey Dickson, resumes Atlantic 10 play Thursday, April 5 at noon against first place Fordham (22-12, 6-0). The Owls and Rams will meet in the series' second game on Friday at 10:00 a.m.
The Cherry and White are coming off a two-game sweep of cross-city rival La Salle in their opening weekend of conference play. In game one, true freshman Ashley Smuda collected her second complete game of the season while striking out a career-best eight Explorers. Sophomore Katie Burdeaux, ranked first among all Atlantic 10 batters with a .467 batting clip, slammed her third homerun of the season while junior Natalie Wagner hit her first as an Owl.
In game two, senior Jessica Rohn launched a critical seventh inning homerun as the Owls downed the Explorers, 7-3. Junior Amanda Carver hit her first long-ball of her Cherry and White career while Burdeaux added another. Smuda lasted 5.2 innings and struck out six en route to her fifth win of the season.
The Owls enter the weekend featuring five players - Burdeaux, sophomore Courtney Norene (.431), senior Adrienne Repsher (.400), true freshman Krystle Metzler (.375) and sophomore Nicole Lee (.364) - in the line-up batting better than .300 at the plate. With the conference's highest team batting clip (.315), the Cherry and White have hit a league-best 20 homeruns while playing a league-low 17 games.
Smuda leads all Temple hurlers in wins (5), complete games (2), strikeouts (52), innings pitched (62.1), games started (8) and appearances (17).
Following the two-game set at Fordham, the Owls remain on the road and head south for a twin-bill with George Washington (14-13, 1-5) on Saturday, April 7 starting at noon.
