Syracuse University
Notre Dame
Orangewomen Softball Snaps Notre Dame's Win Streak
4/14/2002 4:22:01 PM | Softball
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Junior Tara DiMaggio (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) threw a four-hit shutout to lead the Syracuse softball team to a 3-0 victory and a doubleheader split at Notre Dame on Sunday, April 14. The Orangewomen lost the first game, 3-1. The victory snapped Notre Dame's 36-game BIG EAST regular-season winning streak. The Irish had also won 14 games in a row this season and 25 straight home games.
Syracuse is now 17-11 overall and 5-1 in league play. The Fighting Irish are 22-13 overall and 9-1 in the BIG EAST.
DiMaggio is now 7-5 overall after her fourth shutout of the season. She has yet to allow an earned run in three BIG EAST starts. DiMaggio struck out nine and walked only one. Steffany Stenglein was the losing pitcher, she is now 14-9.
The Orangewomen jumped out front in the first inning of then nightcap. Redshirt sophomore Cheryl Julicher (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville North) singled to center, scoring freshman catcher Katie Kaempfer (Las Vegas, Nev./Bonanza), who doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. Kaempfer put the Orangewomen ahead 2-0 in the third with a solo home run to left, her second round-tripper of the season. Syracuse added its third run in the top of the seventh when sophomore Cortney Nickerson (Farmington, N.M./Farmington) grounded out to second base, scoring senior Becky Snyder (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./GAR Memorial).
Kaempfer was the offensive star in the nightcap with two of SU's four hits and two runs scored. Julicher and freshman Tanya Rose (Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam) had the Orangewomen's other two hits.
The Orangewomen jumped ahead 1-0 in the top of the second of the first game on an RBI double Rose. The two-base hit was Rose's seventh double of the season, breaking the SU single-season record for doubles. Junior outfielder Christina Holowich (Castro Valley, Calif./Moreau Catholic) and redshirt sophomore Rachel Park (Mt. Juliet, Tenn./Friendship Christian) had the Orangewomen's other hits, both singles.
The Fighting Irish tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when shortstop Andria Bledsdoe hit her fifth home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. The home run was the first earned run the Orangewomen pitching staff allowed in 31 innings of BIG EAST play. The Fighting Irish put the game away with two more runs in the fourth. Jenny Kriech blooped a double down the right field line to drive in a pair.
Senior Heather Brown (Farmington, N.M./Farmington) suffered the loss for Syracuse, breaking her personal three-game winning streak. She is now 5-6 on the season. Brown allowed three runs on three hits. She struck out five and walked two. Freshman Taylor Petersen (Aurora, Ill/West Aurora) threw two and one-thirds innings of relief. She gave up one hit, the double to Kriech, and struck out three. Stenglein was the winner for Notre Dame with her 14th victory of the season. She struck out nine and walked two.
The Orangewomen's doubleheader with Pittsburgh will be pushed back to a date yet to be determined.
