Orangewomen Take on Rutgers in Saturday Twin Bill
5/2/2003 9:02:02 AM | Softball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Orangewomen softball team hosts the first of two season-ending doubleheaders, taking on Rutgers on Saturday, May 3 at 10:30 a.m. SU is 14-24 overall and 4-12 in the BIG EAST, while the Scarlet Knights are 25-20 overall and 7-9 in the league.
PARK SETS SINGLE-GAME RECORDS
Junior second baseman Rachel Park had a huge day in the Orangewomen's doubleheader sweep versus Siena. In game one, Park went 4-for-4, including a three-run home run, tying the school record for hits in a game. Park became the first SU player ever to have two career four-hit games. She also set the school single-game marks with four runs scored and five runs batted in. Park added two more hits in the second game to tie the Orangewomen's doubleheader record for hits in a twin bill. She also drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning to cap a three-run comeback for Syracuse. For the doubleheader, she was 6-for-8 with a home run, six RBI and five runs scored. Park had her nine-game hitting streak stopped in the first game at Connecticut. She was just two games shy of tying her own school record of 11 straight games with a hit set in the last 10 games of 2002 and the 2003 season-opener.
MORE ABOUT RACHEL
Park's outburst versus the Saints should come as no surprise. The junior second baseman has been SU's top hitter for the most of the season and is closing in on some single-season school records. With four games remaining in the season, Park is hitting .410 with a .582 slugging percentage and a .438 on-base percentage. If she can maintain those totals through the final weekend of the season, she will set school records in each category. Park is tied for third on the single-season hit list with 50, just four shy of tying the records set last season by Tanya Rose. She has set new season career highs in runs scored (20), home runs (4) and doubles (9).
ROSE REACHES .300
Sophomore outfielder Tanya Rose had four hits at Connecticut to raise her season average to .305. Rose has overcome a 2-for-30 start to post the third-highest batting average on the team. She has 34 hits in her last 88 at-bats (.386) and is tied for the team lead with a .367 batting average during conference play. If she can maintain her .300 average, she will become only the second SU player to hit at least .300 in consecutive seasons. Rose leads the team with 23 runs scored and is tied for second with 17 runs batted in. She has a career-high six home runs in 2003.
SWITENKO MAKES PITCHING DEBUT
Freshman Alexis Switenko made her debut in the pitching circle in the Orangewomen's 13-3 win versus Siena. Switenko earned the win, throwing a complete-game and striking out five. She gave up just two earned runs and five hits in her first collegiate outing. She made two other appearances during the weekend, both in relief. At Boston College, Switenko did not allow an earned run in three and two-thirds innings. Against Connecticut, she went three innings, allowing just one earned run. In her three appearances, she has compiled a 1.80 ERA in 11 and two-thirds innings. she has struck out six and walked five, limiting opponents to a .255 batting average.
SWITENKO AT THE PLATE
Switenko has also made her mark in the batter’s box this season for the Orangewomen. The freshman shortstop holds the SU rookie record for homers with eight, only one shy of the single-season mark regardless of class. Her 22 runs batted in also paces Syracuse and and ranks tied for third on the SU single-season ledger. Switenko has driven in at least two runs in one game seven times this season, tying the school record. she has five two-RBI games and two four-RBI outings. Six of Switenko’s home runs have come during BIG EAST play, the most of any player in the league during conference play.
LARSEN TAKES TOUGH-LUCK LOSS
Junior Haley Larsen was the losing pitcher in game two versus Boston College despite one of her best performances of the season. Larsen was on the short-end of a 1-0 decision. The only run she allowed was unearned following an SU error. In six innings, she gave up just four hits and struck out five.
DiMAGGIO GOING FOR WIN NUMBER 10
Senior Tara DiMaggio has nine wins this season, one shy of becoming the third SU pitcher to win at least 10 games in a season. DiMaggio holds the record with 14 wins in 2000. Heather Brown won 10 games in her two seasons on The Hill (2001-02) and Missy Bieman won 10 times in 2000. DiMaggio is the school’s all-time leader in victories with 40.
ORANGEWOMEN SET NEW LONG BALL MARK Freshman Jennifer Orpitelli's home run in the first game against Siena was SU's 26th of the season, breaking the team record for homers set in 2002. The Orangewomen have 27 home runs as a team this season. Six different players have gone deep, including freshman Alexis Switenko, who leads the team with an SU rookie-record eight homers.
