Syracuse University
vs. Tennessee (UNLV Tournament)
DiMaggio Shuts Out Volunteers
2/22/2003 2:54:23 PM | Softball
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Senior pitcher Tara DiMaggio (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) threw her second consecutive shutout, blanking the Tennessee Lady Vols, 3-0, at the UNLV Tournament on Saturday, February 22. DiMaggio is now 2-0 and has not allowed a run in her two starts this season.
Syracuse is 2-1 on the season, while Tennessee is now 8-5. It was the first time the Volunteers have been shut out this season and snapped their seven-game winning streak.
DiMaggio finished with five strikeouts, including the final out with the bases loaded in the seventh. She gave up six hits and walked three in her second complete-game of the season.
Stacey Jennings suffered the loss for Tennessee. She is now 5-3 after throwing four and one-third innings. Jennings allowed three hits, one unearned run and struck out five.
Syracuse scored their first in the fifth inning. Back-to-back singles by sophomore Katie Kaempfer (Las Vegas, Nev./Bonanza) and freshman Jennifer Orpitelli (Garden Grove, Calif./Pacifica) put runners on first and second with one out. Senior Kristen Collins (Stow, Mass./Nashoba Regional) hit a line drive to third base for the second out, but Kaempfer was able to score when Danielle Arriaga's throw trying to double up pinch runner Lindsay Van Gorden (Waterloo, N.Y./Waterloo) at first base went into the Orangewomen dugout.
SU plated two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman shortstop Alexis Switenko (Blue Anchor, N.J./Winslow Township) drove in her first career run with a single that scored junior second baseman Rachel Park (Mt. Juliet, Tenn./Friendship Christian), who started the rally with a single. Senior third baseman Julie Dunn (Springfield, Ill./Springfield) followed with an RBI single to left field.
Each pitcher took control of the game early. The two teams combined for just two hits through the first four innings. The Orangewomen got their first hit in the bottom of the third inning when Collins singled to left field.
DiMaggio pitched out of trouble in the second inning. After a walk and a double put two runners in scoring position with nobody out, DiMaggio recorded back-to-back strikeouts and induced a fly ball to right field to end the inning unscathed. The Orangewomen were also able to escape trouble in the fifth, again leaving two Lady Vols in scoring position.
The Orangewomen play again on Saturday, facing the host UNLV Rebels at 6 p.m. EST. UNLV defeated SU, 5-0 on Friday.
