Friday, February 10
Tempe, Ariz.
10:00 p.m. EST
Syracuse University
0
at
12
vs. #4/4 Texas (Kajikawa Classic)
Heather Kim went 2-for-2 and drove in both runs for SU versus Arizona State.
Orange Loses Twice on First Day of Kajikawa Classic
2/11/2006 10:12:16 AM | Softball
TEMPE, ARIZ. – The Orange softball squad (0-2) lost its opening two games on Friday, Feb. 10 at the Kajikawa Classic held at the Tempe Sports Complex. SU was beaten, 13-2, in five innings in its first game of the day by Arizona State. In the second game, Cat Osterman no-hit the Orange as #4/4 Texas rolled to a 12-0, five-inning victory.
In the first game, the Sun Devils took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Mindy Cowles scored on a wild pitch by SU freshman Keri Casas (Folsom, Calif.).
The Orange responded with two runs in its half of the first. Sophomore Chanel Roehner (Simi Valley, Calif.) walked to lead off the inning and junior Erin Gray (Katy, Texas) and senior Cassie Morales (Whittier, Calif.) delivered back-to-back singles to load the bases. Freshman Heather Kim (Boulder, Colo.) came through with two-run single in her first career at-bat to put the Orange in front, 2-1. Arizona State pitcher Desiree Serrano induced ground outs by freshman Dani Stuart (Centralia, Wash.) and Kim Weinstein (Tarzana, Calif.), sandwiched around a walk to Nicole Miller (Simi Valley, Calif.) to avoid further damage.
The Sun Devils blew the game open in the second inning scoring six runs, all with two outs, on four hits to claim a 7-2 lead. Kaitlin Cochran, Michelle Smith and Sharee Zaleski each drove in two runs in the inning.
Arizona State tacked on two more in the fourth, and four runs in the fifth to produce the final score. Casas, making her first career start in the circle, pitched 1.2 innings and allowed four runs on one hit and walked five. Sophomore Erin Downey (San Rafael, Calif.) relieved Casas in the second and allowed nine runs on eight hits and struck out four. With her four whiffs, Downey became the fourth SU pitcher to reach 200 career strikeouts. She now has 202.
Kim smacked a double in the third inning for her second hit and finished the game 2-for-2 with two RBI and a walk in her first collegiate contest.
Cochran went 3-for-4 with seven RBI and two runs scored for Arizona State, including a two-run homer in the fourth and a bases clearing triple in the fifth. Smith also finished the game with three hits for the Sun Devils.
Serrano pitched four innings and struck out three to earn the win. Casas took the loss for SU.
In the second game, the Texas offense pounded out 13 hits and Osterman struck out 11, walking none, to record her 16th career no-no. It was fourth no-hitter ever twirled against the Orange and the first since Gina Bessolo silenced the SU bats on April 7, 2001.
Senior Alexis Switenko (Blue Anchor, N.J.), making her first appearance on the mound since 2004, kept the Longhorns at bay until the third inning when Desiree Williams knocked in Amber Hall, who led off the inning with a single, to give Texas a 1-0 advantage. Jacqueline Williams plated Desiree Williams with a two-out single to push the lead to 2-0.
The Longhorns scored four runs, only two which were earned, on four hits in the fourth to claim a 6-0 margin.
Osterman, who struck out the first six Orange hitters in the game, sat SU down in order in the fourth to set the stage for a six-run Texas fifth. The Longhorns went yard three times in the inning, including a solo shot by Kelly Melone to lead off the frame. Tina Boutelle delivered a three-run blast and Jacquline Williams belted a solo homer off Casas, who relieved Switenko after Boutelle’s homer. Casas got Chez Sievers to line out to Switenko to end the inning.
Syracuse recorded its only base runners of the game in the fifth when Switenko reached on an error and Kim reached on a fielder’s choice, but Osterman struck out Miller and rookie Jorden Rosen (Sugarland, Texas) and got Weinstein to ground out to end the game.
Boutelle, Desiree Williams and Jacqueline Williams each drove in three runs for the Longhorns.
The Orange will continue play at the tournament on Saturday, Feb. 11. SU will take on Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. EST and Cal State Fullerton at 7:30 p.m. EST.
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