AMHERST, MA (5/15/04) -- The storybook trip to the Atlantic 10 Tournament finally came to an end today for Saint Joseph's (21-29), which dropped two heartbreakers in the A-10 Championship to city rival Temple in its first-ever trip to the finals. A two-out pinch-hit RBI-single from TU's Lauren Evans in the bottom of the seventh gave the Owls a 2-1 win in the opener, and an early run held up in a 1-0 victory in the nightcap. Temple (29-16) wins its first outright championship and advances to its first NCAA Tournament.

Temple, who needed to win two games to win the championship struck first in game one with a single run in the third inning. Katie Weigle got on with a one-out single and moved to second when Jessica Rohn reached on an error trying to move Weigle to second. Two batters later, Weigle scored the first run of the game when Adrienne Respher delivered a two-out single.

The lead for the Owls was short-lived as Saint Joseph¹s tied the game in the next half-inning. Junior Cara Deldeo hit a one-out double and scored two batters later on a double by classmate Alicia Cunic.

Kim Watkins pitched the first six innings for the Owls. She allowed three hits and a walk while striking out one. Villescas then came in and worked a perfect seventh setting the stage for Temple¹s walk-off win. Laura Gutscher led off with a double. After freshman Lauren Hughes got the next two hitters to strike out, Evans came through with a RBI single to right to send the championship into a deciding seventh game. Hughes pitched well for the Hawks scattering six hits and a walk in 6.2 innings. She struck out six batters.

The championship game was a pitcher's duel between Villescas and Saint Joseph¹s Dana Travis. Travis took a streak of 39 innings without allowing an earned run into the game and tossed a gutsy performance, getting out of three early jams in the first three frames. The Owls scored the only run of the game in bottom of the second. Gutscher led off with an infield bunt single and moved to second on a ground out. After a walk put two on with two outs, Weigle singled home Gutscher with what turned out to be the winning run.

Saint Joseph¹s had two opportunities to score the tying run late in the game, but could not break through against Villescas. After not having a base runner for the first 4.1 innings, the Hawks loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth on singles by sophomore Jill Clementi and freshman Rachel Pawlikowski. Villescas got freshman pinch hitter Lauren Pachioli to strike out on a 2-2 pitch to get out of the jam.

The Hawks then tried to mount one last come-back in the top of the seventh inning. Cunic led off with a single and moved to second on a ground out. A single by junior Robin Berry followed, but Cunic had to stop at third base. Villescas then got the next two hitters on ground outs to send Temple into its first-ever NCAA Tournament.

Villescas scattered four hits and a walk while fanning three. Travis took the tough loss as she gave up five hits and a pair of walks while striking out one.

Saint Joseph's placed three players on the all-tournament team in Cunic, Hughes and Travis. The selections capped a memorable trip to the A-10 Tournament, which included the Hawks' first trip to the finals and an upset win over Massachusetts on Friday. The victory snapped a 72-game home winning streak for UMass, the longest in the nation.

The game marked the final in the storied career of Travis and fellow senior Lindsey McNamara. Travis finished her career as the all-time leader in strikeouts (514) and shutouts (26). McNamara concluded her career with 21 homeruns, good for second in Hawk history and her 97 RBI placed her fifth.

2004 Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team
Sara Kinney (P) <>
Kelli Arnold (P) <>
Katie Jo Kelley (3B) <>
Dana Travis (P) < saint="">
Kim Watkins (P) <>
Richelle Villescas (P) <>
Katie Weigle (OF) <>
Denise Denis (OF) <>
Alicia Cunic (C) < saint="">
Lauren Hughes (P) < saint="">
Aida Esquer (SS) <>

* Most Outstanding Player