Temple University Athletics
Softball Split Pair in Texas
2.24.08 | Softball
Feb. 24, 2008
COLLEGE STATION, TX. - The Temple softball team split a pair of games on the second day of the Texas A&M Invitational, topping Sam Houston State 5-4 in the first contest and falling to #4 Texas A&M 6-0, in a hard fought finale.
Senior Natalie Wagner was the hero for the Owls in the victory over Sam Houston State. Continuing on her outstanding start to the season, Wagner broke open a 1-1 game in the bottom of the sixth inning with a three-run, basing clearing triple, giving the Owls a commanding 4-1 lead. Wagner would later score on an error to give the Owls a 5-1 lead.
But the Bearkats wouldn't go away quietly in the seventh. They posted three runs through a series of walks and errors. With runners at second and third, pitcher Brianna Dairy got Sam Houston State's Mandy Huckabee to ground out to end the game and preserve the victory for the Owls
Dairy tossed a complete game for her second victory of the Invitational, allowing four earned runs while striking out two.
"This is a great victory for us today against a good team," said head coach Casey Dickson. "We came up big in the late innings again and hung on for the win".
In the second game of the day, the Owls played #4 Texas A&M tough for a second consecutive day, but once again the
Sophomore Katie Burbeaux pitched an excellent game for the Cherry and White, as she limited the high-powered Aggie offense to just two runs through the first five innings.
Down 2-0, she even helped her own cause in the fifth inning, smacking a one -out double to give the Owls their first runner in scoring position for the game. But the Cherry and White couldn't knock in Burdeaux, and they could only limit the high powered Aggies for so long.
The Aggies responded with four runs in the sixth inning behind a two-run homer by Riannon Liesing, padding the score to 6-0 and finally putting away the pesky Owls.
"I'm very happy with the way that we played today. We showed our toughness by playing hard and never giving up," said Dickson about the Texas A&M game.
The Owls will look to make it a winning weekend as they face Sam Houston State in the finale of the Invitational. Action is slated to begin at 10:00 a.m.
