Syracuse University
vs. Mississippi State (Seminole Challenge)
Orangewomen Lose Opener at Seminole Challenge
2/28/2003 10:09:16 PM | Softball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Syracuse softball team opened play at the Seminole Challenge with a 4-1 loss to Mississippi State on Friday, February 28 at Florida State's Seminole Softball Complex. The Orangewomen are now 2-4, while the Bulldogs are 13-5.
Freshman Jennifer Orpitelli (Garden Grove, Calif./Pacifica) hit her first career home run in the top of the fifth inning to account for SU's lone tally. It was the rookie's first career run batted in. Junior Rachel Park (Mt. Juliet, Tenn./Friendship Christian) continued her hot hitting, going 2-for-3 with a double. Park is hitting .474 (9-for-14) in six games this season.
Senior Tara DiMaggio (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) suffered her first loss of the season in the circle for SU. DiMaggio is 2-1 after allowing four runs, two of them earned, on seven hits in 6.0 innings. DiMaggio struck out five without walking a batter. Mississippi State's run in the third inning ended DiMaggio's string of 23.0 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
Courtney Frank was the winner for the Bulldogs. She went 5.0 innings and allowed four hits and one run. Frank struck out two en route to evening her record at 2-2.
Mississippi State got on the board first with a run in the third inning. Iyhia McMichael delivered an RBI single. The Bulldogs tacked on another run in the fourth on a single by Brooke Best. SU cut the lead to 2-1 on Orpitelli's one-out home run to right-center field, but Mississippi State put the game away in the fifth with a pair of unearned runs. Blaire Brown did the damage with a two-out, two-run home run.
Syracuse continues play at the three-day event on Saturday, March 1. SU will face 15th-ranked Florida State at 1 p.m. and then square off versus the Bulldogs again at 5 p.m.
