Syracuse University
at Notre Dame
Orangewomen Lose Twice at Notre Dame
4/8/2004 10:58:46 AM | Softball
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Syracuse softball team lost both ends of a doubleheader at Notre Dame, 11-3 in five innings and 8-0 in five innings, on Saturday, April 10. The Orangewomen are now 15-17 overall and 1-3 in the BIG EAST, while the Fighting Irish improved to 31-11 overall and 6-0 in the league.
Junior Tanya Rose led the Syracuse offense in the opener with a hit, a run scored and an RBI. Sophomore Cassie Morales also drove in a run. Senior Nikki Lincoln, junior Melissa Kelly and sophomore Alexis Switenko also had hits for the Orangewomen in the first game.
Senior Rachel Park recorded SU’s only two hits in game two with a pair of singles.
Senior Haley Larsen was the losing pitcher in both games. In game one, Larsen (6-8) allowed 11 runs, eight of them earned, on 11 hits. She struck out one and walked three. Heather Booth was the winning pitcher in the opener. Booth (16-4) allowed only one earned run on four hits, striking out four and walking three.
In game two, Larsen gave up four runs on seven hits, striking out one in two and one-third innings. Switenko made her first pitching appearance of the season, coming on in relief in the bottom of the third. Switenko allowed four runs, only one of which was earned, on three hits. She struck out two and walked one. Steffany Stenglein was the winner for the Irish. Stenglein (12-7) allowed two hits and struck out three in four innings of work. Carrie Wisen finished up the game, throwing a perfect fifth inning.
Notre Dame took an early lead in the opener, plating four runs in the bottom of the second. The Irish scored their first run on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice. The Orangewomen recorded the first out on the play at home, but pinch runner Gessica Hufnagle hustled around from second on the throw to first attempting to complete a double play. Sara Schoonaert scored the second run on a wild pitch and Nicole Wicks drove in a run with a triple down the right field line. Stephanie Brown drove in Wicks with a single back through the middle.
Syracuse put its three runs up in the top of the third to cut the Notre Dame lead to 4-3. After the first two runners reached on a walk and an error, Rose recorded SU’s first hit of the game, a single up the middle to drive home freshman Dani Delgado. The Orangewomen plated two more when a fly ball Morales was dropped. Morales was credited with one RBI on the play.
The Fighting Irish opened up an 8-3 lead in the bottom of the third with four runs. A throwing error allowed the first run to cross the plate and put runners on second and third with only one out. Carissa Jaquish pushed both of those runs across with an RBI single up the middle. Jaquish scored on Brown’s second hit of the day, a bloop double down the left-field line.
Wicks and Brown struck again in the bottom of the fifth. Wicks drove in the first run with her second triple of the game, and Brown followed with a single through the right side for her third RBI of the contest . She moved all the way to third on an error. Nicole DeFau ended the game with a single up the middle, invoking the eight-run rule and giving the Irish an 11-3 victory.
Meagan Ruthrauff put the Fighting Irish ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning with her ninth home run of the season, a three-run shot to center. Wicks plated the fourth run of the inning with a double to center, her fourth hit and third run driven in of the doubleheader.
The Irish extended their lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the fourth. Mallorie Lenn drove in the first two on a bases-loaded single. Wicks drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to make the score 7-0 and the Irish scored the eighth run on the play when the throw to try and retire a runner at third went into left field.
SU’s game two loss was the first time the Orangewomen were shutout since a 2-0, extra-inning loss to Iowa on March 13, stopping a streak of 10 straight games with at least one run.
The Orangewomen will return home on Tuesday, April 13 for a non-conference doubleheader with Niagara. The first game gets underway at 4 p.m.
