Friday, April 18
Storrs, Conn.
1 p.m.
Temple University
4
at
5
Connecticut
Softball Splits a Pair of Games At UConn, Falling 5-4 in 10 Innings in Opener and Winning 4-2 in Nightcap
4.18.14 | Softball
STORRS, Conn. – The Temple softball team split a pair of games at American Athletic Conference opponent UConn on Friday, April 18. The Owls lost a heartbreaker in the opener, falling 5-4 in 10 innings, before defeating the Huskies, 4-2, in the nightcap.
TU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener when a Kelsey Dominik double drove in Sarah Prezioso, who had also doubled to open the game and moved to third on a Toni Santos sacrifice bunt.
The lead was shortlived, however, as the host team came right back to score one of its own in the bottom of the frame. Emily O'Donnell drew a one-out walk and Audrey Grinnell followed with a single up the middle to move O'Donnell to third into scoring position. A misplayed ball on the next batter allowed O'Donnell to tie the game, 1-1.
Prezioso gave the Owls the lead again with a leadoff homer to left field, making it 2-1 Temple, but again the Huskies responded in their half of the inning. A single and a walk put two runners on, and with two outs, Alyson Ambler homered over the left field wall to make it a 4-2 game in UConn's favor.
The Cherry & White got within one in the top of the fourth. Back-to-back errors put two runners on, and two outs later, Julia Kastner singled to centerfield to load the bases for Prezioso. During the at-bat, a wild pitch allowed Annie Marcopolus to score from third to cut it to 4-3. Prezioso eventually drew a walk to load the bases again, but the Owls could not produce anymore, stranding three on the bags.
It was scoreless ball for the next two innings, and Temple was down to its last three outs in the top of the seventh. Prezioso led off the inning and reached via error before stealing second. After a groundout, Leah Lucas was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second. Dominik then hit a ball to shortstop and the fielder's choice was a play at second, allowing Prezioso to come around and tie the game at 4-4.
A scoreless bottom of the seventh sent the game to extra innings. Both teams went scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings, but it was UConn that finally broke through in the 10th. Dominik surrendered a one-out single before getting a strikeout for the second out. An errant play on the next batter prolonged the inning and put runners on second and third. Dominique Pinto took advantage, sending a 1-1 pitch up the middle for the game-winning RBI.
Dominik (8-8) went the distance, giving up eight hits in 9.2 innings, walking five and fanning eight. Lauren Duggan (7-17) took the win, surrendering just six hits over 10.0 innings, walking three and striking out seven.
The Huskies got things started quickly in game two, scoring once again in the bottom of the first. Maddy Schiappa led off the inning with an infield single, stole second, and advanced to third on O'Donnell's single to right field. One out later, Ambler hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored Schiappa.
TU went ahead 2-1 with a productive third inning. Santos and Dominik each had RBI in the inning, collecting two of the team's four hits in the frame. Dominik and Prezioso each doubled in the inning.
The 2-1 lead would stand until the seventh when the Owls added two insurance runs with a two-out rally. An infield single and a walk put two on, and Marcopolus's single to right scored a run to make it 3-1. With runners on the corners, the Huskies committed an error and the runner on third came in to give the Cherry & White a 4-1 advantage.
Those runs proved helpful as UConn led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple and plated that run on a sacrifice fly, but Owls' pitcher Jessica Mahoney (2-7) got the final out on the next batter to preserve the victory.
Mahoney gave up six hits in 7.0 innings, striking out four and walking none. Kayla Doty (3-6) took the loss in 4.0 innings of action, allowing five hits, walking one and fanning three. Ambler pitched 3.0 innings of relief, giving up four hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Dominik and Kastner each went 2-for-3 in the contest.
Temple is 14-20, 4-7 AAC and will close out the three-game series with UConn with a 12 p.m. game on Saturday, April 19.
For more information on Temple softball, visit www.facebook.com/Temple-University-Softball, and www.twitter.com/Temple_Softball.
TU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener when a Kelsey Dominik double drove in Sarah Prezioso, who had also doubled to open the game and moved to third on a Toni Santos sacrifice bunt.
The lead was shortlived, however, as the host team came right back to score one of its own in the bottom of the frame. Emily O'Donnell drew a one-out walk and Audrey Grinnell followed with a single up the middle to move O'Donnell to third into scoring position. A misplayed ball on the next batter allowed O'Donnell to tie the game, 1-1.
Prezioso gave the Owls the lead again with a leadoff homer to left field, making it 2-1 Temple, but again the Huskies responded in their half of the inning. A single and a walk put two runners on, and with two outs, Alyson Ambler homered over the left field wall to make it a 4-2 game in UConn's favor.
The Cherry & White got within one in the top of the fourth. Back-to-back errors put two runners on, and two outs later, Julia Kastner singled to centerfield to load the bases for Prezioso. During the at-bat, a wild pitch allowed Annie Marcopolus to score from third to cut it to 4-3. Prezioso eventually drew a walk to load the bases again, but the Owls could not produce anymore, stranding three on the bags.
It was scoreless ball for the next two innings, and Temple was down to its last three outs in the top of the seventh. Prezioso led off the inning and reached via error before stealing second. After a groundout, Leah Lucas was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second. Dominik then hit a ball to shortstop and the fielder's choice was a play at second, allowing Prezioso to come around and tie the game at 4-4.
A scoreless bottom of the seventh sent the game to extra innings. Both teams went scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings, but it was UConn that finally broke through in the 10th. Dominik surrendered a one-out single before getting a strikeout for the second out. An errant play on the next batter prolonged the inning and put runners on second and third. Dominique Pinto took advantage, sending a 1-1 pitch up the middle for the game-winning RBI.
Dominik (8-8) went the distance, giving up eight hits in 9.2 innings, walking five and fanning eight. Lauren Duggan (7-17) took the win, surrendering just six hits over 10.0 innings, walking three and striking out seven.
The Huskies got things started quickly in game two, scoring once again in the bottom of the first. Maddy Schiappa led off the inning with an infield single, stole second, and advanced to third on O'Donnell's single to right field. One out later, Ambler hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored Schiappa.
TU went ahead 2-1 with a productive third inning. Santos and Dominik each had RBI in the inning, collecting two of the team's four hits in the frame. Dominik and Prezioso each doubled in the inning.
The 2-1 lead would stand until the seventh when the Owls added two insurance runs with a two-out rally. An infield single and a walk put two on, and Marcopolus's single to right scored a run to make it 3-1. With runners on the corners, the Huskies committed an error and the runner on third came in to give the Cherry & White a 4-1 advantage.
Those runs proved helpful as UConn led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple and plated that run on a sacrifice fly, but Owls' pitcher Jessica Mahoney (2-7) got the final out on the next batter to preserve the victory.
Mahoney gave up six hits in 7.0 innings, striking out four and walking none. Kayla Doty (3-6) took the loss in 4.0 innings of action, allowing five hits, walking one and fanning three. Ambler pitched 3.0 innings of relief, giving up four hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Dominik and Kastner each went 2-for-3 in the contest.
Temple is 14-20, 4-7 AAC and will close out the three-game series with UConn with a 12 p.m. game on Saturday, April 19.
For more information on Temple softball, visit www.facebook.com/Temple-University-Softball, and www.twitter.com/Temple_Softball.
