Softball welcomes home game

The Penn softball team has played 16 games thus far in its 2000-2001 campaign. And all 16 have been on the road. Today at 3 p.m., the Quakers (6-10) will make their long-awaited return home when they host Temple (11-17) in a doubleheader at Warren Field. And the Red and Blue are certainly looking forward to finally playing on familiar turf in front of some familiar faces. "We feel more confident playing at home," junior left fielder Clarisa Apostol said. "You want to play better when you're on your own territory." Adding to the excitement of today's contest are the City Series implications. After performing well in a City Six tournament this fall, the Quakers are anxious to square off against some Philly foes in their spring season. And they'll get their wish -- in spades. After today's games against Temple, the Red and Blue will head north to La Salle before welcoming neighbor Drexel on April 11. Penn hopes to get off on the right foot with a clean sweep over the Owls today. Despite Temple's rather poor record, the Quakers will not look past their city rival. "Their program [commands] a lot of respect," Apostol said. "We are not taking them lightly." Taking the mound for the Red and Blue will be sophomore Becky Ranta and freshman Nicole Borgstadt. Both have identical 3-5 records in 10 appearances. Borgstadt has impressed so far with a sturdy 3.80 ERA, while Ranta, the Quakers' MVP last season, has struggled a bit, sporting an ERA of 5.92. Penn will look to outfielder Deb Kowalchuk to carry the load on the offensive end. The sophomore currently leads the team in batting average, slugging percentage and runs scored. Star third baseman Jen Moore, who also packs a punch at the plate, will return to the lineup today after missing last week's double header against Lafayette. Temple will look to their pitching to carry them to victory today. While the Owls have a measly .193 team batting average -- more than 40 points below the Quakers -- their ERA is 3.61, a full run better than that of the Red and Blue. Penn and Temple are both going into today's matchup on a hot streak. After starting slow, both teams have reeled off four wins in their last five games. Temple picked up two victories over Pittsburgh and Fordham last week, while the Quakers are coming off a double header sweep over Lafayette, perhaps their best wins of the season. Penn's 3-2 and 4-0 victories over the Leopards last week featured a balance of hitting, pitching and defense, a balance that the Quakers' have struggled to find in the early portion of the season. "When we started off, we weren't relaxed," sophomore shortstop Crista Farrell said. "But we're starting to come together as a team and play up to our potential." Apostol, the team's co-captain, believes Penn's early-season woes were simply due to a lack of concentration. "A lot of it was mental -- we were making basic mistakes," Apostol said. "Each person had to concentrate on playing better themselves and then we would play better as a team. "And once you start winning, it carries into the next game with you." Apostol also noted that many players on the team, including herself, have worked hard to overcome some early-season problems. Apostol, for instance, spent a good portion of her spring break in Florida having difficulty making the short throw from left field. But with time and practice, the junior has gotten over her mental block and regained her confidence. "I didn't want to be Chuck Knoblauch anymore," Apostol joked. And with problems like that overcome, the Quakers are moving forward and progressing as they head into the heart of their schedule. "We're getting closer with each game," Apostol said. "As long as we maintain the desire to play better each game... I don't mind that we're still making progress. "When the Ivy season comes, it will all come into place." And with Chuck Knoblauch's defense left down in Florida, the Penn softball team can only expect better things for the future.

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