Orange Spilts Two on First Day of Buzz Classic

Friday, March 3

Atlanta, Ga.

1:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

vs. Eastern Michigan (Buzz Classic)

Amy Kelley (right) belted her second home run of the season versus Eastern Michigan.

3/3/2006 6:00:49 PM | Softball

SU 5, EMU 0
UM 2, SU 1

MARIETTA, Ga. – The Orange (5-6) split its first two games at the 14^th Annual Marriott Buzz Classic at the Al Bishop Softball Complex on Friday, March 3. SU posted a 5-0 triumph versus Eastern Michigan, but lost, 2-1, against Minnesota in its second game of the day.

Against Eastern Michigan, all five of SU’s runs came via the long ball. Rookie Amy Kelley (Bend, Ore.) got the Orange on the board in the fifth with her second home run of the season, a three-run blast to make the score 3-0. Classmate Jorden Rosen (Sugar Land, Texas) added two insurance in the seventh with two-run shot to left, her second of the year, to provide the winning margin.

Rosen finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.

Senior Alexis Switenko (Blue Anchor, N.J.) improved to 3-1 in the circle, tossing a complete game and surrendering just three hits, while striking out five. She was perfect through four, facing the minimum 12 batters, but Lindsay Schmid led of the fifth with a single to spoil her bid for perfection.

Freshman Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.) started her game of the year versus Eastern Michigan and led off the game with a single in her first collegiate at-bat. It was the fourth time in history an SU player delivered a hit in her first career at-bat and the first time since current SU assistant coach Jaime Grillo achieved the feat in 2001. McCorkle went 1-for-3 in the contest.

Schmid finished the afternoon 2-for-3 at the plate and Lauren Clark recorded the other hit for Eastern Michigan on a single in the sixth.

Orange starter Erin Downey (San Rafael, Calif.) and Minnesota’s Briana Hassett engaged in a fierce pitcher’s duel in SU’s second game of the afternoon. Offense was at premium as the two hurlers combined to allow just three hits in the contest.

The Golden Gophers scored their two runs in the first. Colleen Conway led off the game by drawing a walk. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lindsey Erickson and Megan Higginbotham reached on an error. Lisa Parks followed with a single to score Conway and Higginbotham came around to score on an error on a ball hit by Val Alston. Downey got the next two hitters to pop out to escape further damage.

Downey settled in after the first, striking out eight of the next 10 Minnesota hitters. Hassett matched Downey zero for zero setting the Orange down in order in each of the first three frames.

SU pulled within one in the fourth. McCorkle led off the inning by reaching on Minnesota error and sophomore Chanel Roehner (Simi Valley, Calif.) advanced her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Senior Cassie Morales (Whittier, Calif.) came through with a single to right, the Orange’s first hit off Hassett, to plate McCorkle and make the score 2-1.

Syracuse threatened last to tie the game in the fifth after freshman Dani Stuart (Centralia, Wash.) and Rachel Tilford (Birch Hills, Saskatchewan) drew two-out walks, but Hassett worked out of the jam. Hassett also got out of trouble again in the sixth. Morales rocketed a one-out double to right. Rookie Lindsey Wasek (Newtown, Pa.) pinch ran for Morales and advanced to third on a groundout by Switenko, but Hassett fanned Rosen to end the inning.

Hassett retired the Orange in order in the seventh to end the game.

Downey gave up one hit and struck out 10, but was saddled with the loss. Hassett fanned six and went the distance to earn the win. It was the second straight double-digit strikeout performance for Downey, who moved into a tie with Tara DiMaggio for the most double-digit strikeout games in team history.

Morales finished the game 2-for-3 with a double, the 44^th two-bagger of her career and her 60^th career extra-base hit.

Syracuse will meet Dartmouth at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 4 and wrap up pool play versus Winthrop at 4:00 p.m. Bracket play begins at 8:30 p.m. with the top two teams from each of the five pools and three at-large teams dueling for the tournament championship.