Win and They're In
5/6/2002 8:54:55 AM | Softball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse softball team will try to clinch a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament when it hosts Pittsburgh in a doubleheader at 3 p.m. on Monday, May 6. The Orangewomen are currently 23-19 overall and 10-6 in the BIG EAST.
The BIG EAST standings are determined by a 2/1 point system. Two points are awarded for a win, one point for a tie and zero points for a loss. The Orangewomen are currently two points behind Boston College and Seton Hall for the fourth and final playoff spot. SU holds the tiebreaker with both teams.
Syracuse could be the third seed in the BIG EAST Tournament if it wins both games of the doubleheader. A sweep would tie SU with Virginia Tech at 24 points. The Orangewomen hold the tiebreaker with the Hokies by virtue of their doubleheader sweep on April 7.
Notre Dame clinched the conference's regular-season championship and the top seed in the tournament with an 18-2 BIG EAST record. Villanova is the second seed with a 14-6 mark. Virginia Tech has clinched a spot, but its seed will depend on Monday's outcomes.
Even though the game is being played at Syracuse, Pittsburgh will be the home team. The doubleheader was originally scheduled for April 13 at Pittsburgh. The Panthers enter the twin bill with a 21-31 overall record and a 6-12 league mark.
The Orangewomen split a doubleheader with Seton Hall in their last outing on May 1. Junior outfielder Christina Holowich (Castro Valley, Calif./Moreau Catholic) led SU at the plate, going 5-for-8 with two runs scored and two RBI on the day. Senior pitcher Heather Brown (Farmington, N.M./Farmington) threw her fifth shutout of the season in SU's 6-0 win. Brown has not allowed a run in her last 17 innings of work. She is 6-2 with a 0.83 ERA during BIG EAST play.
The BIG EAST Tournament starts on Thursday, May 9 at the James I. Moyer Sport Complex in Salem, Va.
