Orange Runs Winning Streak to School-Record Seven Games

Sunday, March 6

Fairfax, Va.

1 p.m.

Syracuse University

at George Mason (Patriot Classic)

Cassie Morales hit .583 in four games at the Patriot Classic

Orange Runs Winning Streak to School-Record Seven Games

3/6/2005 4:49:49 PM | Softball

SU 10, Cornell 6
SU 3, George Mason 2

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Syracuse softball team completed an undefeated weekend at the George Mason Patriot Classic with a six-inning, 10-2 win versus Cornell and a 3-2 victory versus the host Patriots on Sunday, March 6. SU has now won a school-record seven straight games and stands at 8-2 on the season.

Syracuse’s eight wins in its first 10 games is the best start in school history. It is the first time the Orange has been six games above .500 since April 10, 2002 when the team’s record stood at 16-10.

The freshmen pitching duo of Erin Downey and Alex Austin each earned victories on Sunday. Downey was the winner against Cornell to improve to 3-0 on the season. She struck out a career-best 11 hitters and allowed two runs on four hits. In 10 and one-third innings of work at George Mason, Downey struck out 21 batters. Austin earned her first career victory (1-0) against the Patriots. She went four and one-third innings, allowing only one unearned run. She struck out five and walked three. Sophomore Courtney Mosch finished off the game for her second save of the season. She allowed one run on three hits and struck out five.

The Syracuse offense hit three home runs on the day, including two by senior Shawna Norris versus Cornell. Norris went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and four runs batted in against the Big Red. Junior Cassie Morales also had three hits and drove in three runs in the game. Junior Alexis Switenko had two hits, scored twice and drove in two, while senior Jaime Grillo had one hit and a run batted in versus the Big Red.

Senior Tanya Rose had two hits and reached base four times in the first game and added another hit against George Mason. Since going hitless against UCLA in the season-opener, Rose has at least one hit in nine straight games.

Freshman Chanel Roehner drove in two of SU’s three runs against the Patriots, including her second home run of the season. Senior Melissa Kelly and sophomore Erin Gray also had hits in the tournament-clinching victory.

In the first game of the day, the Orange scored first with four runs in the third inning. Morales drove in a run with a double, Switenko added an RBI single and Norris hit the first of her two two-run home runs. SU extended its lead to 5-0 on Morales’ second run batted in of the game in the fourth inning.

Grillo made the score 6-0 in the fifth with a run-scoring single. The Big Red bounced back in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs on a two-run homer by Sarah Ruben. Syracuse clinched the game in the sixth inning with four more runs. Morales struck again with an RBI single and Switenko drove in the eighth run of the game with a fielder’s choice. Norris provided the eight-run margin with another two-run long ball.

Syracuse scored all three of its runs against George Mason in the first two innings. Roehner put SU on top 1-0 with a solo home run in the bottom of the first. She added an RBI single in the second and Morales drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

The Patriots scored an unearned run in the fifth inning to cut the SU lead to 3-1. GMU’s Arielle Weinkofsky made it 3-2 with an RBI single in the seventh, but the Orange was able to close the door and earn the victory.

Morales led the team with a .583 batting average (7-for-12) with five RBI in SU’s four games during the weekend. Switenko and Rose each hit .462 (6-for-13) with a combined nine runs scored. Norris hit .417 with three home runs, five runs batted in and a 1.250 slugging percentage. Nine players that played in at least two games hit above the .300 mark.

Syracuse begins its spring break trip to California on Saturday, March 12 with a doubleheader at Cal State Northridge. The Orange will face the Matadors one more time and Cal State Fullerton before beginning play at the Kia Classic. SU will play Arizona State, #6 Louisiana-Lafayette and #11 Oklahoma in round-robin action before beginning the bracket portion of the tournament.