PHILADELPHIA, PA (May 8) - After sweeping La Salle on Sunday, the Temple Owls

earned a spot in the 18th annual Bell Atlantic Atlantic 10 Softball

Championship, which takes place Thursday-Saturday, May 11-13, at the

University of Massachusetts Softball Complex.

Massachusetts enters the Championship as the top seed after winning its 10th

straight regular season title. The Minutewomen are currently 32-20 overall

and 13-3 in Atlantic 10 games. The Minutewomen have won the last five

Atlantic 10 Championships and 11 of the previous 17 events. They also shared

the 1990 title with Temple. UMass will close the regular season on Tuesday

at Connecticut.

Massachusetts will open the Championship by facing fourth-seed Temple on

Thursday, May 11. The Owls, who are making their first tournament appearance

since 1997, enter the Championship as the fourth seed with an 8-6 Atlantic

10 mark and an overall record of 19-29. The first pitch of the UMass-Temple

game will be noon.

In the nightcap, second-seeded Virginia Tech will meet third-seeded Dayton

at 2:00pm. The Hokies enter the Championship at 39-20 overall and 12-4 in

the Conference. Dayton is 34-21 and 10-4 in league play. The Flyers' 10

Conference wins are the most in their five-year Atlantic 10 history.

Championship play continues on Friday, May 12 with winner's bracket play at

noon and loser's bracket play at 2:00pm. The loser of Game 3 will meet the

winner of Game 4 at 4:00pm on Friday. The title game of the Bell Atlantic

Atlantic 10 Softball Championship will be played at noon on Saturday, May

13. Should a seventh game be needed, it will begin soon after.

2000 BELL ATLANTIC ATLANTIC 10
SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
May 11-13 - Massachusetts Softball Complex - Amherst, MA
Thursday, May 11
Game 1- #1 Massachusetts vs. #4 Temple 12:00pm
Game 2- #2 Virginia Tech vs. #3 Dayton 2:00pm
Friday, May 12
Game 3- Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 12:00pm
Game 4- Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 2:00pm
Game 5- Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 4:00pm
Saturday, May 13
Game 6- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 12:00pm
Game 7- If necessary