Orange Sweeps Hofstra for Sixth Straight Win; Downey Sets Season Strikeout Record

Thursday, April 13

SU Softball Stadium

3:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Hofstra

Erin Downey struck out eight in the first game against Hofstra to break Tara DiMaggio's single-season strikeout record.

Orange Sweeps Hofstra for Sixth Straight Win; Downey Sets Season Strikeout Record

4/13/2006 7:45:16 PM | Softball

SU 5, Hofstra 0
SU 2, Hofstra 1

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Orange (26-15) extended its home winning streak to six straight games with its third consecutive doubleheader sweep on Thursday, April13. Syracuse defeated Hofstra (23-11) by the scores of 5-0 and 2-1 at the SU Softball Stadium to improve to 17-2 in its last 19 games. The Orange is two victories shy of tying its season record for wins (28) set in 2005.

Syracuse continued its home run binge against the Pride, hitting its 40^th and 41^st long balls of the season to set a new school single-season homer standard. Sophomore Rachel Tilford (Birch Hills, Saskatchewan) hit the record-breaking dinger to lead off the fourth inning of game one and senior Alexis Switenko (Blue Anchor, N.J.) hit a solo shot in the fourth frame of the nightcap to lift the Orange to a 2-1 triumph.

SU out-hit the Pride, 16-5, in the two games and the Orange has out-hit its last two opponents by a 41-9 margin.

Freshman Heather Kim (Boulder, Colo.) batted .800 (4-5) versus Hofstra. She drove in pair of runs, one in each game, to eclipse the Orange freshman RBI record of 27 set by Chanel Roehner (Simi Valley, Calif.). Kim has 29 runs batted in on the season. Switenko also had four hits in the twin bill for the Orange.

Switenko and sophomore Erin Downey (San Rafael, Calif.) combined to allow just one run in the two games and that’s the only run SU has given up in its last 27 innings. Downey (16-13) tossed a complete game shutout in game one, her fifth of the season and the ninth of her career. She fanned eight in the contest to break the SU single-season strikeout standard of 208 held by Tara DiMaggio. Downey has 210 whiffs so far this season. Her 16 victories are one shy of the single-season mark of 17 she shares with Courtney Mosch.

Switenko (10-1) allowed one run in game two, while striking out eight. The Pride got its only run of the day on a sacrifice fly in the third, bringing SU’s scoreless innings streak to an end at 22 and two-thirds, dating back to the sixth inning of game two versus DePaul on April 9.

The Orange took a 3-0 lead on four hits in the first inning of game one. Kim, freshman Kim Weinstein (Tarzana, Calif.) and classmate Dani Stuart (Centralia, Wash.) each had RBI singles in the frame.

Tilford’s homer to lead off the fourth put SU in front, 4-0, and senior Cassie Morales (Whittier, Calif.) whacked an RBI double to produce the final margin. The two-base hit scored freshman Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.), who reached on a single.

SU’s five runs was more than enough offense for Downey, who faced just seven batters over the minimum.

Kim, Switenko and Morales each had two hits in the contest for SU.

Carolann Lubach, Laura Sweeney and Pam Dreslinski each recorded singles in the game for the Pride.

Syracuse once again grabbed the early lead in the nightcap, pushing a run across in the bottom of the first on single by Kim. Kim’s base hit scored McCorkle who led of the game with a single and stole second base.

Hofstra came back with a run in the third on Lubach’s sacrifice fly to left to knot the game at one run apiece, but Switenko’s opposite field solo homer, her 14^th of season, proved to be the winning run. Switenko allowed just one base runner in the final three innings, including striking out the side in the fourth to seal the win.

Kim and Switenko each had two hits in game two and the pair drove in the only two Orange runs.

Lubach and Erika Berstein were the only two Hofstra players to manage hits off of Switenko.

Syracuse will conclude its 10-game homestand on Saturday, April 15 when it hosts a BIG EAST doubleheader against Pittsburgh at the SU Softball Stadium. Game one is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m.