Syracuse University
Cornell
Dunn Hits First-Ever Grand Slam in Doubleheader Split
4/24/2002 7:55:30 PM | Softball
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
ITHACA, N.Y. – Junior Julie Dunn (Springfield, Ill.,/Springfield) hit the first grand slam in Syracuse history to lead the Orangewomen softball team to a 12-3 win in five innings and a doubleheader split at Cornell on Wednesday, April 24. The Orangewomen lost the first game, 3-0. SU is now 20-16, while the Big Red improved to 23-19.
Dunn's grand slam was part of a five-run first inning for Syracuse. A double by freshman Katie Kaempfer (Las Vegas, Nev./Bonanza), an error and a walk by redshirt sophomore Cheryl Julicher (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville North) loaded the bases. Freshman Tanya Rose (Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam) drew another walk to bring home SU's first run and set the table for Dunn's drive to left-center field. It was her second home run of the season.
Dunn's grand slam also tied the Syracuse single-game RBI record. Missy Bieman also drove in four runs versus Rutgers on April 29, 2001.
The Orangewomen put three unearned runs on the board in the third inning. Rose singled and a walk to Dunn put runners on first and second with no one out. Sophomore Nikki Lincoln (Baton Rouge, La./Episcopal) put down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw to first went all the way to the right-field corner allowing both runners to score and Lincoln to advance to third. She scored when a pickoff attempt went into left field.
Syracuse plated three more in the top of the fourth on Rose's first career home run, a three-run drive to center. It was her 41st hit of the season, breaking the SU freshman record. Rose's blast also tied Dunn and Bieman for most RBI in a single-game with four and tied the Syracuse team record for home runs in a game (two).
The Orangewomen scored their final run in the fifth. Senior Becky Snyder (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./GAR Memorial) led off the inning with her second pinch-hit single of the season in as many at-bats and moved to second on Cornell's sixth error of the day. Two walks loaded the bases and Snyder came in to score on a wild pitch.
Cornell got on the board in the bottom of the third inning. Lauren May drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in her third run of the doubleheader. The Orangewomen were able to avoid further damage when junior Tara DiMaggio (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) struck out the last two hitters of the inning. The Big Red scored two more in the fifth on a two-run home run by Christina Trout.
DiMaggio was the winning pitcher for the Orangewomen, improving to 8-6 on the season. She tossed her 10th complete game, striking out nine and scattering six hits. Nicole LePera (8-11) was the loser. She started the game, giving up five runs in one inning of work. LePera re-entered the game and pitched the final inning and two-thirds
Kaempfer had two doubles in the game, running her season total to 11 and passing Rose for both SU's single-season and rookie records. Freshman Annie Corbelli (Amherst, N.Y./Amherst Central) made her first plate appearance, drawing a walk in the fourth inning.
Syracuse has now surpassed its win total from the 2001 season (19-28). It is the Orangewomen's second 20-win season in the program's three-year history. SU went 24-23-1 in its inaugural season of 2000.
Cornell got all the game-one offense it needed in the first inning. Melissa Cannon drew a one-out walk and then scored when Lauren May belted her 16th home run of the season. Cannon scored the Big Red's third run of the day in the bottom of the third inning. She led off the inning with a double and scored on a single up the middle by Annette Sheppard.
Sarah Sterman (15-7) was the winner for Cornell, allowing only three hits and no runs. After giving up back-to-back singles in the top of the second, Sterman retired 15 consecutive SU hitters before giving up a single in the seventh. Senior Heather Brown (Farmington, N.M./Farmington) was the loser, dropping her record to 7-8. Brown tied a season-high with 10 strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
The Big Red's shutout in game one ended Syracuse's school-record streak of 14 games with at least one run. Syracuse's victory in the nightcap snapped the Orangewomen's three-game losing streak.
Syracuse plays another non-conference doubleheader on Thursday, April 25 at Siena. The first game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
