Softball Splits a Pair of Games With Visiting Penn In Home Opening Twinbill

Saturday, March 17

Ambler, Pa.

1 p.m.

Temple University

10-9

Penn

10-7

Penn

Temple University

Softball Splits a Pair of Games With Visiting Penn In Home Opening Twinbill

3.17.12 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Owls fall 5-4 in 8 innings in opener; come back to win 9-6 in nightcap

PHILADELPHIA – Senior third baseman Rachel Knable went 3-for-3 with an RBI in Temple's second game of the day, leading her squad to a 9-6 win over visiting Penn on Saturday, March 17, at Ambler Field. The Owls dropped a 5-4 extra inning decision in the opener, which was TU's first home game of the season.

Game one saw Temple carry a 2-1 run into the sixth inning before Penn tied it up.

The Quakers got their first run in the top of the first on an RBI single from Brooke Coloma.

The Owls responded with two of their own in the bottom of the frame, taking advantage of two hits and two errors. Ali Robinson led off with a single and Samantha Schoell advanced her to second with a sacrifice bunt, and reached base herself on an errant throw. One out later, Stephanie Pasquale was awarded first for catcher's interference to load the bases. With two outs, Meaghan Marley delivered a double to left center that brought in Robinson and Schoell.

The 2-1 score stood until Kayla Dahlerbruch sent a 0-2 pitch over the left field fence to open the sixth and tie the game.

Neither team could score in the seventh, and it was on to extra innings.

The Quakers wasted little time generating some offense in the eighth. Brooke Coloma led off the frame with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice, and advanced to third on a passed ball. After Sam Erosa drew a walk to put runners on the corners, Capri Catalano came in to replace starting pitcher Brooklin White.

A Jessica Arneson bunt loaded the bases and Karina Rios came through with an RBI single back to the pitcher. Catalano sat Stephanie Caso down on strikes for the second out, but then an errant throw on Sydney Turchin's ball back to the mound allowed Arneson and Erosa to cross the plate for the 5-2 lead.

Temple got one of those back in no time when Sarah Prezioso homered over the right field fence to open Temple's half of the inning. Knable drew a one-out walk and Marley reached on an error, putting runners on the corners. Gina Sciarrone came through in the clutch, driving in Kate Roth, who was pinch running for Knable, to cut it to 5-4. Julia Kastner then sent a ball to deep center field and it looked as if the Owls would come away with the walk-off victory, but Penn centerfielder Jessica Melendez caught it as she ran into the wall for out number two. The game ended one batter later with Alexis Borden got Christina Sykora to pop out to short.

Borden (6-1) tossed a solid game in the win, scattering six hits over 8.0 innings and allowing four runs, only two of them earned. She walked just two while fanning 10. White (4-4) took the loss, giving up nine hits in 7.1 innings of work. She allowed four runs, three earned, walked three and struck out one.

Penn carried the momentum into the nightcap, scoring three runs in the top of the first. Turchin opened with a single, Elysse Gorney walked and Dahlerbruch sent another one over the left field fence to bring them all around.

The Owls plated one in both the first and second innings to pull within one, 3-2, before the Quakers got another one in the top of the third to make it a 4-2 ball game.

It remained 4-2 until the bottom of the fifth when TU exploded for three runs on three hits and one error. Robinson drew a walk to lead off the inning, and Schoell again advanced her with a bunt but also reached on an error. Robinson scored on the miscue. Prezioso then hit her second home run of the day, this time over the left centerfield fence, to give the home team a 5-4 edge.

After shutting the visitors out in the top of the sixth, Temple got four more in its half, collecting three more hits in the process. Sykora led off with a double and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Robinson was hit by a pitch, and one out later, Prezioso hit a fly ball deep to centerfield and both runners advanced after the catch, scoring Sykora and moving Robinson to second. Stephanie Pasquale singled up the middle to plate Robinson and after a Knable walk put two runners on, Marley again doubled to bring them both around.

Penn made it interesting in the top of the seventh, trailing 9-4. With two outs and one runner on, Dahlerbruch hit her third homer of the day, and second of the game, over the left field fence to cut it to 9-6. Pitcher Jessica Mahoney didn't let it phase her, though, and got out of the inning, and the game, with a ground out to end it with a 9-6 victory.

Mahoney (3-1) gave up five hits and six runs while striking out seven and walking four in the win. Penn used three pitchers in the loss, with Jen Retzer (1-4) getting the decision after 1.2 innings of work, six hits and seven runs.

Temple is 10-9 and remains home for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader against Iona on Wednesday, March 21.