Syracuse University
vs. #7 California (FIU Tournament)
SU Loses Two at Blue and Gold Classic
3/14/2003 11:56:30 PM | Softball
SU vs. Florida International
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SU vs. #7 California
MIAMI, Fla. – The Syracuse softball team lost its first two games on day one of the Blue and Gold Classic hosted by Florida International University. SU lost to the host Panthers in game one, 3-1 in eight innings, and defending national champion California, 8-0 in five innings, in the second game. The Orangewomen are now 4-11.
The loss to FIU (15-18) was the Orangewomen's third extra-inning defeat in the last four games.
After being no-hit for the first five innings, SU tied the game at 1-1 in the sixth inning. Back-to-back singles by Jennifer Orpitelli (Garden Grove, Calif./Pacifica) and Kristen Collins (Stow, Mass./Nashoba Regional) and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with nobody out. A one-out fielder's choice by Rachel Park (Mt. Juliet, Tenn./Friendship Christian) drove in the run. Park moved into second on a throwing error by the FIU shortstop, but the Orangewomen couldn't push across the go-ahead run.
FIU pushed home the game-winning runs in the top of the eighth. Using the international tie-breaker, the Panthers started the inning with a runner on second base. Amber Gill bunted and reached second on a Syracuse throwing error that allowed the first run of the inning to score. Another sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly plated the Panthers' third run of the game.
The Panthers scored first with a run in the top of the second. Marleah Stapf drove a two-out single through the left side of the infield to score Cynthia Turek.
Sophomore Taylor Petersen (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) was the loser for Syracuse. Petersen is 1-3 after giving up three runs, only one of which was earned, and six hits in eight innings of work. She struck out a career-best nine batters without a walk. Nicole Barrett was the winner, improving to 2-6. Barett pitched three perfect innings of relief, striking out two.
The seventh-ranked Golden Bears (21-6) erupted for five runs in the bottom of the fourth and three in the fifth to take the second game, 8-0.
Chelsea Spencer started the scoring with an RBI groundout. Kristen Morley drove in two with a single and Vicky Galindo plated the fourth run of the inning with a triple to right-center field. Lindsay James brought in the last run with an infield single. Veronica Nelson drove in the sixth run of the game in the fifth inning with a solo home run, her sixth of the season. Spencer drove in her second run of the game with a triple to center and scored the game-ending run on a wild pitch.
The Orangewomen's three freshman starters each recorded a hit in their first at-bats of the game. Cassie Morales (Whittier, Calif./St. Paul) and Alexis Switenko (Blue Anchor, N.J./Winslow Township) had back-to-back singles in the first inning, while Orpitelli doubled her first time up in the second. Sophomore Tanya Rose (Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam) had the other hit for the Orangewomen with a single in the fourth inning.
Senior Tara DiMaggio (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) took the loss for Syracuse, allowing four runs and six hits in three and two-thirds innings. She did not allow a hit until the third inning. DiMaggio is now 3-6 on the season. Kristina Thorson tossed the complete-game shutout for Cal to improve to 6-2. Thorson scattered four hits and struck out five.
The Orangewomen will face Florida Atlantic and 19th-ranked Texas A&M on day two of the Blue and Gold Classic at FIU Field.
