Softball looks for redemption against Temple

After losing a doubleheader to Princeton last weekend, the Penn softball team will have a chance to redeem itself tomorrow when it takes on Temple. The game was postponed, after originally being scheduled for today.

"I think we should do really well," Penn junior Nikki Borgstadt said.

"We played really well against Princeton, and we have every reason to believe that we can beat Temple."

Last year -- at the tail end of a seven-game winning streak -- the Owls shut out the Quakers, 2-0. In that matchup the Temple offense was a threat, as junior Lynsey Grace went 2-for-3 and was able to garner a pair of singles and pair of stolen bases.

Owls' sophomore Aida Esquer and senior Bari Lynn Pfleuger each also had strong hitting days against the Quakers last year. Esquer had a hit at each of her at bats, while Pfleuger was able to hit a single and score on a Penn error.

And while the Owls boast a strong offense this season, also, the biggest obstacle the Quakers will have to surmount in tomorrow's game is pitching sensation Liz Naughton. The senior led her team with 113 strikeouts and six shutouts last season, and was honored as an Atlantic-10 Pitcher of the Week and member of the All-Championship Team.

Last year Naughton threw all seven innings for the Owls, and allowed only two Quakers hits, while striking out seven.

Penn has cited the Owls' offense and pitcher Naughton as its biggest challenges tomorrow.

"They have a really good pitcher, so our emphasis will be on offense," Borgstadt said.

Penn's answer to Temple's pitching is senior Crista Farrell, who currently leads the Red and Blue in hitting.

"Temple is a good team, but we always go into games knowing that any team can be beaten on any day," Penn senior Danielle Landolt said. "We just hope that we can play our best against them and come away with a win."

So far this season, however, the Quakers have been having some difficulty doing just that. Having lost their last six games, including their Ivy opener against Princeton, the Red and Blue are in search of a big win to gain some mid-season momentum.

"We've definitely had our ups and downs," Borgstadt said. "But we've learned a lot and I think that we're gaining a lot of confidence which will be really important for the rest of the Ivy season.

"We played [Temple] in the fall and they did really well. We expect it to be tough."

Unlike most of their opponents, against Temple, the Quakers will be playing only a single game.

"They're usually a pretty good hitting team. They have a strong pitcher," Landolt said. "But it's only one game, seven innings. We don't have to save up for anything. The main thing we're going to focus on is leaving it on the field and giving one hundred percent."

In preparation, Penn has been working on scoring early in the game and hitting to move runners over to prevent the scoring woes that it has recently.

"I see a marked improvement from past years and from earlier in the season," senior Erin O'Brien said. "We've grown so much and improved so much. I expect great things."

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