Syracuse University
at Cornell
Orangewomen Lose Two at Cornell
4/21/2004 9:03:23 PM | Softball
Cornell 7, SU 6
Cornell 4, SU 3
ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning in both games, sweeping the Orangewomen softball team, 7-6 and 4-3. SU is now 18-20 on the season, while the Big Red improved to 29-11.
Melissa Heintz was the hero for the Big Red in game one, plating three runs on a bases loaded single and an error to give Cornell the 7-6 win. Lauren May did the damage in game two with a one-single with runners on first and third.
The Syracuse offense belted four home runs, including two by sophomore Alexis Switenko. Switenko hit a solo home run in the first game and smacked a three-run shot in game two. She also drew two bases on balls and scored four runs on the day. She now has eight homers for the season, one shy of her own school single-season record. Switenko has 17 career long balls, tops on the SU all-time ledger.
Senior Rachel Park had two hits in the opener, a double and a home run. She also singled in game two. Freshman Erin Gray drove in two with her first career home run, while junior Tiffany Robinson had two hits in game one, a double and single.
Sophomore Cassie Morales led off the fifth inning of game one with a double to center field, her school-record tying 13th two-bagger of the season. She had two hits in the game.
Junior catcher Katie Kaempfer and junior Melissa Kelly each had hits in game two.
Freshman Courtney Mosch was the losing pitcher in game one, allowing seven runs, six of them earned, on seven hits. Mosch (12-11) struck out two and walked four. Whitney Smith earned the win in relief to improve to 10-3. She threw two innings, allowing one run on two hits.
Senior Haley Larsen was the pitcher of record for the Orangewomen in the second game. Larsen (6-9) allowed four runs, three of them earned on eight hits in seven innings. Sarah Sterman improved to 14-7 with the complete-game victory for the Big Red.
Heintz led the Cornell offense on the day with three hits and six runs batted in. Kate Varde also drove in two run in the opening game.
SU played long ball in the top of the third of game one. Park started the scoring with a leadoff home run, her first of the season. After a one-out walk to Switenko, Gray smacked a homer to left to put SU ahead, 3-0.
Cornell answered back in the home half of the inning with two runs. Varde drove in both runs with a bases-loaded single. The two runs snapped a streak of 29 and one-third innings without allowing an earned run for Mosch.
The Orangewomen scored a run in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. Switenko scored on a wild pitch with two outs to give SU a two-run lead. SU went ahead 5-2 when Robinson reached on an error with the bases loaded.
As they did in the third frame, the Big Red answered the Orangewomen with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Syracuse lead to 5-4. Heintz drove in both runs with a two-out double to right-center field. Syracuse came right back in the top of the sixth with her seventh home run, a solo shot to straight away center field to make the score, 6-4.
The Big Red plated three in the bottom of the seventh to take the game-one victory. Heintz’s bases-loaded single skipped by Robinson, allowing all three runners to score on the play.
Heintz struck again in the second game, giving the Big Red a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third on a two-out, two-run double.
Syracuse took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth. A walk, a single and a fielder’s choice put runners on first and second with one out. Switenko hit a laser over the left-field fence for her second, third and fourth runs batted in on the day. Switenko now has 33 RBI in 2004, becoming the first SU player ever to drive in at least 30 runs in one season.
The Big Red knotted the game in the home half of the inning on a solo home run by Lauren May, her 12th of the season. May won it in the bottom of the seventh inning with a one-out single with runners on first and third.
Syracuse plays a pair of conference doubleheaders on the road this weekend. SU will face Rutgers on Saturday, April 24 and Villanova on April 25.
