Orange Splits Day Two At USF Invitational

Saturday, March 8

Tampa, Fla.

7:30 p.m.

Syracuse University

Fairfield (USF Invitational)

Chanel Roehner produced four hits and three RBI during the Orange's two games at the USF Invitational on Saturday

3/8/2008 5:30:57 PM | Softball

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Senior center fielder Chanel Roehner paced to Orange by going 4-for-7 with three RBI in two outings during Saturday's competition at the USF Invitational. SU opened with a 3-2 defeat against Indiana (3-9), but rebounded with a 6-3 victory versus Fairfield (2-7). Syracuse (2-14) produced nine hits in both games and has reached that total in each of its last three outings.

"Things are starting to click for this team," said head coach Leigh Ross. "We are playing clean ball defensively and we are stringing hits together offensively. Our players are really shooting for the goals that we set for them before we left.

"It was touch to lose that first game and you can't get down because you don't want to lose the second one. We just told them not to quit and they responded well with nine hits again."

Roehner had her best outing of the year by going 3-for-4 against Indiana and extended her hitting streak to a season-best five games. Junior shortstop Jamie Kelling and sophomore leftfielder Ev Anderson expanded their hitting streaks to three games apiece. Kelling was 1-for-4 with one run scored during the first game and 1-for-3 during game two. Anderson, who played against Indiana, went 1-for-2 and produced her first RBI of the season.

Freshman third baseman Hallie Gibbs and junior first baseman Nicole Miller added to the Orange's cause by each tallying two RBI. Miller also crossed home plate at team-best three times.

During game two, the Stags threatened in the first with a runner on third with one out, but Kelling denied Fairfield's first run when she went home on a fielder's choice to get the runner.

SU's bats came alive in the bottom of the second; junior catcher Amy Kelley and junior second baseman Lindsay Wasek both singled to left center. Miller reached on a fielder's choice and an Anderson walk loaded the bases. Roehner fired one to right center to score Miller and Kelley.

Anderson doubled in the fourth inning to score Wasek, who singled to right center earlier in the inning, and Roehner hit a sac-fly to left to score Miller, who had singled to left center.

Miller added to the Orange's 4-0 lead in the fifth with a two-out single with the bases loaded to score senior right fielder Rachel Tilford and freshman Rachel Helman.

The Stags produced three runs in the bottom of the seventh behind key hits by several pinch hitters, but the Orange defense was able to get out of the inning to produce the teams second win in three games.

Sophomore Brittany Gardner earned her first win of the season by striking out three and allowing three hits. Stags freshman Sarah Minice pitched six innings and allowed nine hits.

During game one, the Hoosiers used a three-run six to erase a 1-0 deficit, but the Orange threatened in the top of the seventh. Freshman designated hitter Tawni Irvine led off by drawing a walk. Miller reached on fielder's choice, which resulted with Anderson (pinch running) being called out at second. Helman followed with a single through the right side and Roehner duplicated the result to load the bases.

With two outs, Gibbs singled scoring Miller from third, but a great throw senior center fielder Julia Hamilton got Helman at the plate to end the game.

Freshman Angie Sagnelli pitched her second complete game and is now 0-6, while Indiana freshman pitcher Sara Olson goes to 1-1.

The game started at a quick pace with nothing doing for both teams through two as they combined to produce one base runner. Helman produced the game's first hit when she singled with two outs. Roehner followed with a singled up the middle, but Helman was thrown out at third to end the inning.

The Hoosiers loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with a two-out single by freshman leftfielder Brittany Devitt, but Sagnelli induced a ground out to second base to get SU out of the jam.

Kelling led off the top of the fourth with a double over Devitt's head. Gibbs followed with a single to right center to score Kelling and put the Orange up, 1-0. Syracuse threatened with the bases loaded with two outs, but Olson produced the final out.

Both defenses cruised through the fifth inning with the only hit coming from Roehner with one out in the top of the inning and Sagnelli orchestrated three-straight ground outs in the bottom.

Indiana's defense then responded with a three-up-three-down of its own, sending the top of its order to the plate. Gibbs made a leaping catch across her body on a rope down the leftfield line to tally the first out, but a Hoosier single and walk set the stage for junior Emily Bergeson, who doubled to right center to score two. She advanced to third during the second out of the inning and scored on a wild pitch.

The Orange concludes play at the USF Invitational on Sunday, Mar. 9 with a 9 a.m. contest against Quinnipiac and an 11 a.m. versus Kennesaw State.