Box Score April 27, 2008
Box Score
Ambler, Pa. -
Allison Storc's extra inning home run turned out to be the difference maker, as the Rams posted their second straight extra inning win with a 5-4 victory over the Temple Owls at the Ambler Softball Complex. Fordham then completed the sweep with a 3-1 win behind home runs from Allison Twarowski and Melissa Andrews.
With the sweep, Fordham improves to 31-24 on the year, 10-6 in the Atlantic 10, while Temple drops to 13-22 on the season, 3-15 in league play. It marks the sixth straight seasons of at least 30 wins by the Fordham softball team.
Temple jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first, as Natalie Wagner walked, stole second, moved to third on a single, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Teresa Bonavita.
The Owls made it 3-0 in the second without recording a hit. Beckah Wiggins came on to relieve Nicole Ayres, and then walked Anna Rico. After Rico advanced to third on two wild pitches, Chante' Pleydle walked and kept running, sliding into second safely. Wiggins then threw another wild pitch scoring Rico from third. Allison Twarowski then came into to pitch and gave up a sacrifice fly to Wagner to make it a three-run lead.
The scored remained that way until the top of the sixth, as Fordham scored three times to tie the game. Mary Beth Puccio started the inning with a double to left center, followed by another double by Allison Storc, moving Puccio to third. Jocelyn Dearborn then drove a deep fly to left, but was caught at the track for a sacrifice fly, scoring Puccio. Samantha Pellechio then clubbed out a two-run home run to left center, clearing the scoreboard for her second of the season.
Temple responded immediately as pitcher Katie Burdeaux hit a solo home run to left, her fourth of the season, to take a 4-3 lead.
Fordham then tied the game at four in the seventh to force extra innings. Puccio drew a one-out walk and was pinch run for by Meghan Shager. After a fielder's choice, Dearborn knocked out an RBI-double to left center, scoring Storc from first.
After a scoreless eighth, Fordham grabbed a 5-4 lead in the ninth on a solo home run by Storc, her seventh of the season.
Temple did get the tying run on base with a walk, but Twarowski snagged the final ground out of the game to get the win.
For Fordham, Twarowski (10-7) threw eight innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits with four strikeouts. Storc was 2-for-5 with three runs scored and a home run, while Dearborn and Pellechio each drove in two runs.
In game two, Fordham opened the scoring in the top of the third with a 2-0 lead. With one out, Meghan Shager reached on a infield single and was followed by a line drive home run to center by Twarowski, her sixth of the season.
Temple got a run back in the bottom of the third, as Wagner doubled to left, moved to third on a single, and scored on a ground out by Burdeaux.
Fordham regained their two-run lead, using the long ball once again, as Melissa Andrews hit a solo home run to left center, her first of the season.
Twarowski and Ayres made that lead hold up, as Twarowski (11-7) went the first four innings, giving up one run on six hits, while Ayres gave up just two hits in three innings for her second save of the season. Andrews and Shager paced the Rams' offense as they were both 2-for-2 with a run scored.
The Fordham softball team will next be in action on Tuesday, April 29th, as they play a doubleheader at Wagner College, beginning at 2:00 PM.
