Orange Shatters Team Hits Record; Sweeps Doubleheader Versus Connecticut

Friday, April 28

SU Softball Stadium

4:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Connecticut

Sophomore Chanel Roehner smacked two homers in the first game versus Connecticut.

Orange Shatters Team Hits Record; Sweeps Doubleheader Versus Connecticut

4/28/2006 8:17:28 PM | Softball

SU 12, UConn 2
SU 5, UConn 2

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – SU (33-19, 14-6) hammered out 20 hits in its doubleheader sweep of Connecticut (18-27, 5-13) on Friday, April 28 at the SU Softball Stadium. The Orange has 384 hits in 2006, smashing the previous season record of 369 set last season. SU won game one against the Huskies,12-2, in five innings and posted a 5-2 triumph in the nightcap.

The two victories improved the Orange’s conference wins total to 14, the most ever league wins for SU in one season. Syracuse also bested its previous standard for home victories with the sweep. The Orange is now 11-2 at the SU Softball Stadium this season.

Freshman Kim Weinstein (Tarzana, Calif.) and senior Alexis Switenko (Blue Anchor, N.J.) each went 4-for-6 and drove in three runs for SU on the day. Switenko broke the individual Orange season hits record with the performance and now has 58 base knocks on the year. She eclipsed the previous mark of 55 hits held by several players. Switenko also surpassed her own single-season RBI mark versus Connecticut, driving in her 40^th and 41^st runs of the season on a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning in game two.

Sophomore Chanel Roehner (Simi Valley, Calif.) and rookie Tonye McCorkle (Santa Ana Heights, Calif.) each had three hits in the twin bill. Roehner belted two home runs in the first game and finished the contest with four runs batted in. It was the seventh time an SU player hit two long balls in one game. McCorkle also surpassed the previous SU record for hits in a single campaign and now has 56 on the year.

The Orange came out swinging in game one as McCorkle led off the bottom of the first with a solo homer to put SU in front, 1-0. Syracuse went on to score two more runs in the inning on a two-run single to right by Weinstein to claim a 3-0 advantage after one inning of play.

After SU ace Erin Downey (San Rafael, Calif.) retired the Huskies in order in the top half of the second, the Orange went to work again, scoring six runs on six hits in the inning to blow the game open. Freshman Nicole Miller (Simi Valley, Calif.) led off the frame with a double and Roehner followed with her first homer of the game to increase the SU margin to 5-0. After a single by McCorkle, Connecticut starter Krista Michalczyk was pulled in favor of Ashley Thody. The first batter Thody faced, sophomore Rachel Tilford (Birch Hills, Saskatchewan) reached on an error, but was erased on a fielder’s choice by freshman Heather Kim (Boulder, Colo.). With one out, Switenko drove in McCorkle with a single and senior Cassie Morales (Whittier, Calif.) followed with a two-run triple to right, the second three-bagger of her career. Weinstein put the finishing touches on the scoring rally with an RBI single down the line in right to push the Orange lead to 9-0.

The Huskies regrouped and scored two runs in the second on a two-run single by Christine Keeton, but the Orange tacked on three runs in the fourth, two of which came on Roehner’s second long ball, to take 12-2 advantage. Downey retired the side in order in the top of the fifth to invoke the mercy rule.

Roehner finished the game 2-for-3 and scored two runs in addition to her four RBI. Switenko, Weinstein, McCorkle and Miller each had two hits in the contest. Weinstein drove in a career-high three runs and Miller tied her personal best with a pair of doubles.

Downey allowed five hits, struck out four and walked a batter to become the first Orange pitcher to win 20 games. She is 20-15 on the season.

Jillian Ortega and Allie Gendron were each 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Huskies.

In the second game, Syracuse played long ball again. After RBI singles by Danielle Del Ponte and Kristina Tolles in the top of the first, Switenko smacked her 15^th homer of the year, a two-run shot, to tie the game at 2-2 after the first inning.

The Orange took the lead for good when Morales led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to left center. It was her ninth of the season and the 23^rd of her career, moving her into a tie with Tanya Rose for second on the SU career home run list.

Syracuse scored two more runs in the sixth on a throwing error by Meghan Tierney to go up, 5-2. Tierney fired the ball passed Del Ponte at the plate on a suicide squeeze attempt by freshman Dani Stuart (Centralia, Wash.) which allowed Switenko to score from third and Weinstein to come all the way around from second.

The Huskies put two runners on in the seventh, but Switenko struck out three straight Husky pinch hitters to seal the win.

Switenko was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI in game two. In the circle, she tied her career high with 10 strikeouts to improve to 13-3 on the season. She allowed five hits and walked a batter.

Weinstein also had a pair of hits for the Orange in the nightcap.

Keeton delivered two base hits for Connecticut in the second game. Michelle Caouette took the loss for the Huskies. She allowed five runs on seven hits and struck out eight.

The Orange will play its final home BIG EAST doubleheader when it hosts Providence at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 30 at the SU Softball Stadium. The Orange will celebrate Senior Day prior to the twin bill and the careers of both Morales and Switenko will be recognized in a brief ceremony before the first pitch.