Winter Haven, Fla. (3/8/14) – While students were consistently bombarded by the cold Philadelphia winds this past week, the Owls softball team continued their Florida gauntlet in Winter Haven, Florida. Temple split games in their final day in the sunshine state losing 8-0 to Akron and winning 6-5 against Saint Peter’s University on Saturday.
The Owls got zipped against Akron as Jessica Schneider blasted a two run shot in the first. Down two, Owls’ starter Jessica Mahoney let up two runs to score in the third with only one forced out. Akron would put up another run in the fifth and Temple was down five and their bats were having no say in the outcome.
Schneider was pulled in the sixth finishing with five walks and let up eight runs. Zero Akron hitters struck out and four were hit by pitches. Freshman Erin Seiler (3-0) pitched a complete game shutout letting up only three hits and one walk. Akron walked all over the Owls and every aspect of the game they conquered.
Temple would play Saint Peter’s later and desperately were looking for the W in their second match up.
Temple’s anemic offense weren’t going to let their trip to Florida turn south as SS Sarah Prezioso led off the first with a triple and was knocked in by Toni Santos. The slippery slope, known as the Owls 2014 season, showed up again as the Peacocks dropped five in the next inning. 3B Samantha Storms highlighted the inning with a RBI double as the pendulum swung in the favor of Saint Peter’s.
2B Leah Lucas, putting up a productive season for the Owls, tried to ignite an Owls comeback with a RBI single in the third. Both teams were held scoreless until the sixth. With two outs and a run already home in the inning, Prezioso came up big with a 2 RBI single and the Owls got the hit they needed mounting a four run comeback.
With a runner or first and second with two down RP Kelsey Dominik, the opening game’s starter, got the final hitter to ground out and end the seventh. Lucas, just showing off now, smacked a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning and Dominik followed with a single of her own. If Temple was going to do it, now was there golden opportunity. After a disappointing strikeout, DH Brooklin White drives one to right center as Lucas comes a round to score and give Temple the 6-5 win. What a way to end it in Florida.
Dominik (4-4) went 4.0 innings giving up nothing and had four strikeouts. Erica Colon took the loss going 6.0 innings letting up 10 hits and six runs.
Temple (7-11) travels back to PA. where they will face the Delaware State Hornets Wednesday.
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