Syracuse University
Virginia Tech
Orangewomen Extend Win Streak with Sweep of Hokies
5/2/2004 5:22:19 PM | Softball
SU 8, VT 0 (6 inns.)
SU 6, VT 4
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Freshman pitcher Courtney Mosch earned her school-record 17th victory and notched her first career save in the SU softball team’s doubleheader sweep of Virginia Tech on Sunday, May 2. Syracuse won the first game, 8-0 in six innings and took the nightcap, 6-4. The Orangewomen improved to 24-26 overall and evened their BIG EAST mark at 8-8. The Hokies are now 34-23 and finished their league schedule at 9-11. SU has now won four straight games.
Mosch tossed a four-hit shutout in the first game, picking up her school-record 17th win of the season. The rookie right-hander is now 17-13 and has thrown five complete-game shutouts. She scattered four hits, striking out four and walking three. In game two, Mosch pitched one and one-third innings of relief to earn her first career save. She allowed two hits and struck out two. It was the first save by an Orangewoman pitcher this season.
Senior Haley Larsen was the winning pitcher for the Orangewomen in game two. Larsen (7-13) stopped an eight-game personal losing streak with a solid five and two-thirds innings of work. She allowed four runs on six hits and struck out one.
Senior Rachel Park, making her final home appearance, led the offense with four hits and five RBI on the day. Park now has 164 hits in her career, tied for first on the Orangewomen's all-time ledger with Christina Holowich (2000-03).
Sophomore shortstop Alexis Switenko had three hits and also drove in five for the doubleheader. Switenko became the first SU player to reach the 40-RBI mark in a single season. Sophomore Cassie Morales had two hits and two RBI. She reached base three other times after being hit by a pitch. Junior Tiffany Robinson had three hits and scored three times, while junior Tanya Rose had a hit, an RBI, walked twice and scored three runs.
Shanel Garofalo paced the Hokies with three hits and three RBI, all in game two. She plated Virginia Tech’s first two runs of the day with a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning. Kelly Brown and Callie Rhodes each had two hits in the twin bill.
Katie Maynard took the loss in the opener for the Hokies. Maynard (14-12) allowed eight runs on nine hits in five and two-thirds innings. She struck out four and walked three. Rachel Pacheco suffered the game-two loss, throwing an inning and one-third. Pacheco (13-6) allowed three earned runs on four hits. She struck out one and walked four.
Syracuse opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the third inning of game one. Both runs came home on a two-out bases loaded single by Switenko. SU extended the lead to 4-0 in the fifth on an RBI single by Rose and an RBI double by Morales.
SU ended the first game with a four spot in the sixth inning. Park provided the big blow with three-run double. She came around to score on a double by Morales to end the game. Morales’ double was her 17th of the season, extending her school single-season record.
The offense continued to roll in game two as the Orangewomen scored all six of their runs in the first three innings. SU plated a single run on a Virginia Tech error in the first. In the second inning, SU extended its lead to 4-0 on an RBI single by Park, a bases-loaded walk by Switenko and an RBI single by Mosch. The lead went to 6-0 in the third inning when Switenko singled to left-center field with two outs to score two runs.
After being no-hit through the first three innings, Garofalo got the Hokies on the board in the top of the fourth with a two-run homer to left-center field. She drove in another run in the fifth inning with a single. The fourth and final run of the game also scored on the play after the Orangewomen did not execute a run down. The throw to the plate was off line and the Hokies cut the lead to 6-4.
Virginia Tech threatened in the sixth, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Mosch entered the game, and after allowing an infield hit, induced a ground ball to short. Mosch pitched a scoreless seventh inning, giving up a harmless one-out single. She got the Hokies’ leading home run hitter Megan Evans to foul out and then got the final out on a strikeout.
The Orangewomen kept their BIG EAST Tournament hopes alive with the two victories. SU has two conference doubleheaders remaining on the road. They play at St. John’s on Saturday, May 8 before heading to Seton Hall on Sunday, May 9.
