Softball Drops 11-7 Slugfest to George Washington

Friday, April 6

Ambler, Pa.

3 p.m.

Temple University

16-15, 4-2

George Washington

11-23, 2-4

George Washington

Temple University

Photo by: Mitchell Leff

Softball Drops 11-7 Slugfest to George Washington

4.6.12 | Softball

Box Score

Longballs the story with seven homeruns between both teams

AMBLER, Pa. – Temple and George Washington combined for 18 runs and 21 hits, seven of those homeruns, in an Atlantic 10 softball slugfest held at Ambler Field on Friday afternoon. The Owls (16-15, 4-2 A-10) came out on the short end of the 11-7 decision, falling to GW (11-23, 2-4 A-10) for the second-straight day.

The Cherry and White got out to an early lead with two runs in the first. Ali Robinson led off the inning with a double. One out later, Sarah Prezioso reached on an error, Stephanie Pasquale walked and Rachel Knable reached on another error, forcing in Robinson for the first run. Meaghan Marley's sharply hit ball to third led to an out on the force, but Prezioso also crossed the plate on the play to make it 2-0.

George Washington unleashed its offense in the top of the second, collecting three hits, including a double and a homerun, and scoring three runs to take a 3-2 advantage.

After sitting Temple down in order in the bottom of the frame, the Colonials continued their offensive onslaught with two more homeruns in the third, including a two-run shot by Tara Fogarty, to chase Owls starter Jessica Mahoney. Kylie Kristovich came in and got a strikeout and groundout to get out of the inning.

TU got a few back in the bottom of the third on a Pasquale three-run homerun over the centerfield fence, making it a 6-5 game in GW's favor.

The visitors struck again in the top of the fourth, converting two hits and a hit-by-pitch into two runs to go up 8-5.

Temple slowly creeped back into it, scoring once in the fifth and again in the sixth, while silencing GW, to get within one, 8-7. Prezioso opened the fifth inning with a double and Pasquale followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Marley collected an RBI with a sacrifice fly to right field that plated Prezioso. TU's run in the sixth came off the bat of Christina Sykora in the form of a solo homerun over the left field fence.

The Owls got two quick outs to start the seventh inning, and it looked like the squad might enter the bottom of the frame in good shape to make a comeback down by just one. Four-straight hits from the Colonials, including back-to-back home runs from Autumn Taylor and Fogarty, and an errant throw changed all of that and the host team found itself in an 11-7 hole heading in to its final at-bat.

Temple went down in order in the seventh, dropping its fourth-straight.

Kara Clauss (8-15) got the win, going 6.0 innings, surrendering seven hits, five earned runs, three walks and striking out two. Mahoney (3-2) took the loss in 2.1 innings of work, allowing nine hits and six runs while striking out one.

Pasquale (2-for-2) and Robinson (2-for-4) were the only Temple players with multiple hits, while Pasquale and Marley recorded multiple RBI with three and two, respectively.

Fogarty led the way at the plate for George Washington, going 3-for-4 with two homeruns and three runs batted in.

TU hosts Fordham in an Atlantic 10 doubleheader on Saturday afternoon beginning at noon.