Gardner Shines In SU's Sweep Against Niagara

Tuesday, April 8

Syracuse, N.Y.

4 p.m.

Syracuse University

Niagara

Brittany Gardner rolled with 10 strikeouts during the second game against Niagara.

4/8/2008 8:00:45 PM | Softball

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Sophomore Brittany Gardner struck out a combined 13 batters, including 10 in the night cap, to lead the Orange to a pair of victories, 6-4, and, 2-1, against Niagara at the SU Softball Stadium at SkyTop on Tuesday. Gardner's 10 strikeouts was a season high and fell only two shy of tying her career mark. With the wins Syracuse improves to 13-19 overall, while Niagara goes to 14-16.

"Brittany gave us a chance to win tonight," said head coach Leigh Ross. "We asked her to come in during the third inning of the first game and she carried the momentum into the second contest. You could see she found her rhythm and was able to guide us to the wins. Niagara is a great hitting team. I think they entered batting .292 and Brittany was able to stop them."

Gardner, who was credited with the win in the first game, stepped in after 2.1 innings of work by freshman Angie Sagnelli and struck out three. During the second game, the sophomore pitched her eighth complete game and is now 8-6 this season. By allowing zero earned runs, her ERA now stands at 2.23.

Offensively, senior centerfielder Chanel Roehner led the way with three RBI off of two hits, while freshman first baseman Tawni Irvine and senior right fielder Rachel Tilford paced the Orange with three hits apiece. Irvine went 3-for-6 with one RBI, while Tilford was 3-for-7 with a run scored.

Junior catcher Amy Kelley and junior shortstop Jamie Kelling each produced an RBI.

During game one, Purple Eagle sophomore right fielder Jenna Baker hit her team's 36^th home run of the season when she led off the second inning with a shot to left-center field.

Syracuse wasted no time in the bottom of the inning getting the run back and took the only lead it would need. With two runners on and two outs in the inning, Kelling singled to leftfield to score junior designated Jorden Rosen.

Roehner doubled the next at-bat and drove in two runs and came around to score herself when a throwing error by Niagara sophomore shortstop Teresa Healy rolled under the fence near her team's bench.

Gibbs followed with a walk and Kelley sent a deep fly ball to right field. A leaping Baker robbed the junior catcher of her team-leading eight home run of the season. However, the ball bounced out of Baker's glove, giving Kelley her fifth double of the year and her 16^th RBI of the season.

Facing a 5-1 deficit, Niagara responded with three runs in the top of the third with RBI from senior first baseman Tory Healy and Baker.

Syracuse added an insurance run in the sixth when a collision in centerfield on a blooper by Kelley led to sophomore pinch runner Ev Anderson coming around to score.

Purple Eagle senior Tiffany McCroy was given the loss after giving up five runs through 2.1 innings, going to 4-7. Syracuse was able to tally seven hits against Niagara.

During the night cap, Syracuse struck first with an RBI double by Roehner in the bottom of the third. Kelling hit a two out single before Roehner followed with the two-bagger to centerfield.

SU threatened an inning later by loading the bases with just one out, but Rosen flied out to center and Niagara junior Felicia Coffey gunned down freshman Rachel Helman to get her team out of the inning.

Gardner posted six strikeouts through the first four innings and added three more in the fifth and sixth innings, but the Eagles finally got on the board with a one-out single to right field by freshman shortstop Maggie McDonald to score Baker from second.

Irvine, who went 2-for-3 during game two, produced her first career RBI a half inning later when she singled up the middle to score Tilford, who led off with her second single of the game. Junior second baseman Lindsay Wasek followed Tilford with another infield single, setting up Irvine.

In the bottom of the inning, Gardner put the exclamation point on her performance by whiffing Niagara's final batter.

Syracuse returns to the road and BIG EAST play when it goes to Louisville on Friday, April 11 for a 4 p.m. game.