Temple University Athletics
Softball Completes Home Campaign with Tough Defeats to Villanova
4.30.08 | Softball
April 30, 2008
AMBLER, PA - It was tough ending in the final home game of the season for the Temple softball team, as the Owls dropped its final two homes games to city rival Villanova 10-2 and 6-5 from the Ambler Sports Complex on Wednesday afternoon. In the heartbreaking second loss, the Owls rallied from down 4-0 in the game, knotting the score with two outs in the seventh, only to fall in the tenth inning when the international softball tiebreaking rules were put into effect.
For moment in the bottom of the seventh inning, it looked as if the Owls (13-24, 3-17) were going to snap out of their late season slide with a dramatic comeback victory. Having already rallied from down 4-0 to cut the lead to 4-3, sophomore Krystle Metzler stepped to the plate with two outs and two runners on looking to be the hero. Metzler would go on to blast a double to the left center gap, but it would only tie the game as freshman Chelsea Reicher was gunned down at the plate, forcing extra innings.
Following a scoreless eighth and ninth by both teams and facing limited sunlight, the umpire enacted the international softball tiebreaker rule, which places a runner at second base to start each inning.
In the top of the tenth, Villanova posted two runs with two outs behind a single by Jackie Dempsey and an error by Temple's Sam Dungan, giving the Wildcats a 6-4 lead.
Looking for one more late-inning rally, the Owls fell just short. Junior Courtney Norene, who started the inning off at second, would score via a throwing error to make the score 6-5, but it was not enough as the Wildcats retired both freshman Sumer Ploskonka and junior Chante' Pleydle with the tying run at third for the 6-5 victory.
Metlzer was outstanding for the Owls at the plate in the second game, leading the team with four hits and three RBI. Norene also added two hits of her own.
Nicole Ward picked up the victory for the Wildcats in the second game for her second win of the day. Junior Katie Burdeaux (6-12) took the took the loss for the Cherry and White, working in relief of freshman Amanda Branco
In the first game, the Wildcats used a 14 hit attack to topple the Owls 10-2 in six innings. Villanova's Meghan Morese blasted a three-run homer off junior Burdeaux in the third inning, giving the Wildcats a 3-0 lead and sparking the offense to the 10-run explosion.
The Cherry and White picked up both runs in the fifth inning when both senior Natalie Wagner and Reicher were able to use sacrifice flies to drive in senior Anna Rico and Pleylde respectively.
Ward picked up the victory for the Wildcats, tossing five innings and registering six strikeouts. Burdeaux (6-12) took the loss for the Cherry and White.
The Owls will close out the season this Friday when they travel to Charlotte for a weekend series. Play is slated to begin at 3:00 p.m.
