How Sweep It Is: Orange Takes Two At Pittsburgh

Saturday, April 26

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Noon

Syracuse University

Pittsburgh

4/26/2008 5:50:04 PM | Softball

Game #1 Box Score

Game #2 Box Score

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Syracuse softball team swept conference foe Pittsburgh, 5-3 and 2-1, on Saturday to secure a position in the 2008 BIG EAST Championship. The conference sweep is the fourth this season for the Orange, which is 20-16 overall and 11-7 in the BIG EAST. The Panthers go to 27-20 and 10-8.

"We couldn't have asked for a better performance from our team today," said head coach Leigh Ross. "Everything was coming together and a few bounces went our way. Our team really deserved those wins and now our focus turns to moving up in the conference."

Junior first baseman Nicole Miller led the way by going 4-for-6 with one hit in the first game and three in the second.

Senior outfielder Rachel Tilford produced a 4-for-8 outing with an RBI and one run scored.

Junior shortstop Jamie Kelley and junior second baseman Lindsay Wasek tallied a team-high two RBIs apiece. Both went 3-for-8 and Kelling scored a run. Wasek homered during game one and score three runs on the day.

During game one, the Orange rallied with two runs in the top of the fourth to erase a 3-1 deficit. Tilford led off the inning with a single up the middle and Wasek followed with a home run over the left-center field fence. The long ball was her third of the season.

Syracuse pulled ahead in the sixth when Kelling singled down the third base line to score Wasek and junior designated hitter Jorden Rosen. Wasek led off the inning with her third hit of the game and Rosen reached on an error by Pitt sophomore third baseman Megan Livesey.

The Panthers jumped out to a 3-1 lead on three unearned runs in the second inning thanks to a throwing error, a passed ball and a RBI single to left by Livesey.

SU scored first on a single to left-center by Rosen to score Wasek. The RBI was her sixth of the season.

Sophomore pitcher Brittany Gardner went the distance, striking out four and allowing zero earned runs to go to 12-9. She retired nine-straight batters between the third and sixth innings.

Pitt freshman sensation Cory Berliner allowed 11 Syracuse hits in the complete game. She allowed three earned runs and is now 15-9.

The Orange wasted no time getting on the board in the second game. Kelling and senior pitcher/centerfielder Chanel Rosen led off with a pair of singles and Kelling scored on a single by Tilford.

After a 30-minute rain delay, when the Orange doubled as the grounds crew for the visiting field, SU increased its lead to 2-0 in the top of the fourth by loading the bases and Kelley drew a walk to score freshman right fielder Rachel Helman.

Roehner and Orange set the tone from the third inning to the sixth inning by retiring 10 consecutive batters.

In the bottom of the seventh, facing their final out Livesey doubled to right field. Senior outfielder Kelly Stile stepped to the plate and hit a shot off the very top of the leftfield fence, robbing her of a game-tying home run. Livesey scored by Roehner whiffed senior outfielder Rebecca Stottlemyer to end the game.

Roehner struck out four and only allowed two hits through the first six innings. She is now 8-10. Zinger (11-10) was given the loss and pitched 5.0 innings before being replaced by O'Connell.

The Orange welcomes Buffalo to the SU Softball Stadium on Wednesday for a 1 p.m. start. SU puts the finishing on the regular-season schedule with BIG EAST games against DePaul on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Notre Dame on Sunday at Noon.