Orange Has Record-Setting Day in Doubleheader Sweep

Sunday, April 24

Syracuse, N.Y.

12 p.m.

Syracuse University

Rutgers

Courtney Mosch hit two home runs and was the winning pitcher in game two of SU's doubleheader sweep versus Rutgers.

Orange Has Record-Setting Day in Doubleheader Sweep

4/24/2005 5:25:53 PM | Softball

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

SYRAUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse offense scored 26 runs on 29 hits, including six home runs to take both games of a BIG EAST softball doubleheader versus Rutgers, 12-4 in five innings and 14-1 in five innings, at the SU Softball Stadium on Sunday, April 24. The Orange has now won a school-record 26 games (26-15) overall and stands at 11-3 in conference play. The Scarlet Knights are now 3-37 overall and 1-11 in league action.

SU’s game-two victory set school records for runs in a game and largest margin of victory. All nine players in the Orange lineup had at least one hit with six collecting two. Junior Cassie Morales had two hits, including a home run, and tied the Orange single-game mark with five runs batted in. Senior Tanya Rose had two hits and four RBI, including a three-run home run. Sophomore Courtney Mosch had three hits in the doubleheader including a home run in each game.

Syracuse hit three home runs in the first game as well. Freshman Chanel Roehner hit her fourth of the season, one of her three hits in the game. Sophomore Erin Gray belted a grand slam, the first of her career and only the second in school history. Morales drove in three runs on two hits, while Rose and Roehner each contributed two RBI.

The pitching duo of Mosch and freshman Erin Downey combined to strike out 23 batters. Downey (15-6) got the win in game one. She allowed four runs on four hits and struck out a career-high 13. It was the most strikeouts for an SU pitcher since Heather Brown whiffed 13 versus Siena in 2001. It was Downey’s school-record seventh double-digit strikeout game.

Mosch (10-9) also recorded a career high with 10 strikeouts for her first career double-digit game. She allowed only one unearned run and two hits. Mosch’s victory marked the first time since the 2000 season that SU has had two pitchers with at least 10 wins.

In game one, it was Rutgers who scored first in the top of the first inning. After the first two batters struck out, Stephanie Johannsen hit a solo home run to right field to put the Scarlet Knights up 1-0. SU came back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning on an RBI ground ball by Morales.

Johannsen struck again in the third inning, belting a three-run home run to center to make the score 4-1 Rutgers. The Orange again had an answer, however, plating six runs in the bottom of the inning. Roehner started the scoring with a two-run home run to pull the Orange to within one at 4-3. After a double, a walk and a single, Gray came through with a line drive grand slam that ricocheted off the scoreboard in left field to put SU on top, 7-4.

The Orange added a run in the fourth on Mosch’s first homer of the day and sealed the win with four more in the fifth to invoke the eight-run rule. A single by Gray started the rally. Senior Jaime Grillo followed with a double, one of her two in the game, and both runners scored on a double by Rose. Roehner singled to put runners on the corners and Morales ended the game with a two-run double down the third-base line.

Syracuse took control of game two with five runs in the second inning. Mosch led off with a home run to make it 1-0. The Orange plated the second run when senior Shawna Norris, who doubled, scored on an error. A single by senior Katie Kaempfer and an infield single by senior Tiffany Robinson loaded the bases. Rose made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly and Morales drove in two more with a single.

The Scarlet Knights scored an unearned run in the top of the third. Kristin Madoch blooped a single into left field to drive home Rutgers’ only run of the game.

The SU bats exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the fourth. Roehner made it 6-1 with a single and Morales belted a three-run homer over the right field fence to extend the lead to 9-1. Two singles set up Gray’s RBI single to make it 10-1 and Kaempfer drove in the Orange’s 11^th run. Rose put the finishing touches on the inning with a three-run shot to set the final score.

Syracuse has now won eight of its last nine league games, outscoring opponents 66-23 during that span. One more BIG EAST victory would tie the school record for league wins in a season (12-6, 2002).

The Orange concluded the home portion of its schedule with a 6-3 record. Syracuse has three road doubleheaders left on its regular-season schedule. The Orange will face Canisius on Tuesday, April 26, Pittsburgh on Saturday, April 30 and Notre Dame on Sunday, May 1.