Orange Sweeps Rutgers; Improves to 7-1 in BIG EAST Play

Sunday, April 2

Piscataway, N.J.

12:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Rutgers

Erin Downey pitched three innings of shutout relief to earn her first save of the year in the second game versus the Scarlet Knights.

Orange Sweeps Rutgers; Improves to 7-1 in BIG EAST Play

4/2/2006 9:29:26 PM | Softball

SU 8, RU 0
SU 5, RU 1

PISCATWAY, N.J. – The Orange softball team (18-14, 7-1) won a pair of games versus Rutgers (6-25, 1-7) on Sunday, April 2 at the RU Softball Complex to extend its winning streak to four. SU defeated the Scarlet Knights in six innings, 8-0, to win game one and posted a 5-1, seven-inning decision in the second game of the doubleheader.

With victories the Orange improved to 7-1 in BIG EAST play matching its best-ever start to the conference season. SU also won seven of its first eight league contests in 2002. It also marked the first time the Orange have swept two doubleheaders from conference opponents in one weekend.

The Orange pounded out a season-high 15 hits in the first game. The hitting display was one shy of the team record of 16 set against Western Kentucky on March 24, 2000. Eight of SU’s nine batters had at least one hit and five players had multiple base knocks in the contest.

Senior Alexis Switenko (Blue Anchor, N.J.) matched her career high with three hits, going 3-for-4 with a double and a home run. She finished with three runs batted in and now has 26 on the season, tied for sixth-most in Orange season history. Junior Erin Gray (Katy, Texas) also tied her personal-best with a 3-for-4 performance at the dish. In addition to Switenko, senior Cassie Morales (Whittier, Calif.) also drove in three runs for the Orange. She was 2-for-4 with a home run. Morales’ solo shot to lead off the second inning was the 20^th of her career. She is one of three players in SU history to hit at least 20 career long balls, joining Switenko (31) and Tanya Rose (23).

The Orange scored at least one run in five out of the six innings in the contest and had at least two hits in every frame.

The eight runs were more than enough for sophomore Erin Downey (San Rafael, Calif.) who no-hit the Scarlet Knights for four and a third innings before Rutgers’ pitcher Christina Yard broke it up with a single through the box. Downey surrendered two hits and allowed just five base runners in the game. It was the seventh shutout of her career, tying her with Courtney Mosch for third on SU’s all-time shutout list. Downey walked two and struck out 10 to improve to 12-12 on the year.

SU freshman Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.) led off the game with a double and scored on a single down the right field line by classmate Heather Kim (Boulder, Colo.) to give the Orange the early lead.

SU extended its margin to 2-0 on Morales’ home run in the top of the second and Gray drove in a run on a single in the third in boost the margin to 3-0. Switenko plated two with a bases loaded single in the fourth to make the score 5-0.

After Yard pitched a scoreless fifth, the Orange scored three runs on four hits in the sixth, including Switenko’s homer, to go ahead 8-0. Downey pitched around two Scarlet Knights’ base runners in the bottom of the frame to invoke the mercy rule.

In the second game, McCorkle snapped a scoreless tie with a two-run double to left with two outs in the fourth inning to put the Orange in front, 2-0. The Scarlet Knights scored its only run of the day in the bottom of the inning on a single by Sarah Kalka to slice the SU margin to 2-1.

The Scarlet Knights had an opportunity to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the frame, but Downey, who relieved Switenko in the circle, retired three consecutive batters, including two via strikeout to preserve the lead.

Kim put the final touches on the sweep, connecting for her third homer of the year, a three-run blast in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

Kim’s three RBI paced SU in game two. Sophomore Rachel Tilford (Birch Hills, Saskatchewan) was 2-for-2 with two runs scored.

Switenko whacked a double in the fifth to extend her hitting streak to nine games. On the mound, she allowed one run in four innings to earn the victory and improve to 6-1. Switenko struck out five. Downey tossed three innings of scoreless relief to pick up the save, SU’s first of the year. She fanned six.

Kalka was 2-for-3 for the Scarlet Knights in the second game. Crosby allowed two runs in four and two-thirds innings pitched and was saddled with the loss.

The Orange steps out of conference play for a doubleheader at Binghamton on Tuesday, April 4. The first game will begin at 4:00 p.m.