SU Gallops Past Louisville to Secure 40-Win Season

Saturday, May 7

SU Softball Stadium

12 p.m.

Syracuse University

Louisville

Veronica Grant tallied a homer in each of SU's games against Louisville on Saturday

SU Gallops Past Louisville to Secure 40-Win Season

5/7/2011 11:49:18 AM | Softball

Syracuse 3, Louisville 0
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	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Louisville	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	1
Syracuse	1	0	0	2	0	0	X	3	3	0

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
L - Collins	6.0	3	3	3	3	8
W - Caira (29-9)	7.0	5	0	0	0	10

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO
LOU - Austin	2	0	1	0	0	0
SU - Grant	1	1	1	2	0	0

Syracuse 9, Louisville 5
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	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Louisville	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	5	7	0
Syracuse	3	4	1	0	0	1	X	9	10	1

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
L - Collins	1.2	5	5	5	2	1
W - Caira (30-9)	5.0	7	5	4	3	6

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO
LOU - Wherry	3	1	2	0	0	0
SU - Kohl	3	1	2	3	0	0

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse University softball squad swept a pair of games against Louisville (34-16, 12-6) on Saturday to secure its first-ever 40-win season. Today's wins also extend Syracuse's (40-11, 14-5) win streak to 10 games, marking the longest in program history.

Veronica Grant, Morgan Nandin, Lacey Kohl, and Lisaira Daniels led the offensive effort for Syracuse in the twin bill. Grant was 2-for-2 on the day, with two homeruns and three RBI. Nandin was .750 at the dish, with three runs scored, one RBI, and her first career homerun – a solo blast to centerfield in game two. In the second game of the day, Kohl was 2-for-3 at the plate in with three RBI, while L. Daniels hit .500 with two runs and one RBI in game two.

In game one, Stephanie Watts legged out a single to the left side to open up the bottom of the first inning. Watts stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Louisville catcher. Hallie Gibbs was intentionally walked to put runners at the corners and Kelly Saco was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Rachel Helman drew a walk for herself to score Watts and give the Orange an early 1-0 lead.

After the second straight 1-2-3 inning for the Orange, Nandin earned a leadoff base hit up the middle. Grant perfectly executed a sacrifice bunt to move Nandin into scoring position. Nandin then advanced to third on a pass ball, but Louisville was able to get out of the jam.

The Orange showed off its defensive prowess in the top of the third, turning a perfect 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Louisville registered its first hit of the game in the top of the fourth, as Chelsea Bemis nailed a two-out, stand-up double to the right field wall, but the team was not able to capitalize.

Grant took charge of extending SU's lead to 3-0 with a two-run homer to left center in the bottom of the fourth.

The bats on both sides were silent in the fifth, but the Cardinals threatened in the sixth, putting runners on first and second with back-to-back base hits. Jenna Caira came up with a big strikeout to get out of the jam.

The Cardinals put runners on first and second with one out in the top of the seventh. Caira hit her third opposing batter of the game to load the bases, but after a long, loud foul from the next batter, the Orange secured the 3-0 victory with a routine infield play to give Louisville just its second shutout of the season.

In game two, Louisville started strong with a leadoff walk and a stolen base. An infield single brought Bemis to the plate, who blasted a three run homer to give her team an early, first-inning advantage and end Caira's 45-inning scoreless stretch. Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly to right field allowed the Cardinals to extend their lead to 4-0 in the top of the first.

After a long at bat in the home half of the first, Watts drew a leadoff walk and L. Daniels followed with a RBI double to left center to cut into the Louisville lead. The Cardinals went with an early pitching change with the score at 4-1. Kohl hit a solid one-bagger through the right side to tally an RBI of her own and pull the Orange within two. Gibbs earned a walk to put runners on first and second, bringing Caira to the plate, who helped her own cause with an RBI single to left. The Cardinals were able to pick off pinch runner Emily Thompson at second to end the inning and maintain a 4-3 lead.

The Orange defense came to life in the second, retiring the Louisville side in order. In the bottom of the inning, Nandin and Grant combined for consecutive solo homers to give the Orange its first lead of the game, up 5-4. L. Daniels followed with a double through the right side to put runners on second and third. Consecutive sacrifice flies gave SU a 7-4 lead through two innings.

In the bottom of the third, Watts laced a RBI single to extend the Orange lead to 8-4, but the Cardinals threatened in the top of the fourth. Singles through the left side allowed Louisville to put runners on first and second with one out, but Syracuse got out of the inning unscathed.

The Cardinals cut into SU's lead in the top of the fifth, as Alicia Wolney's stand-up double scored Katie Keller to make it an 8-5 game.

SU regained its four-run buffer in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a solo homer from Kohl to deep right field.

The Orange defense shut down the Cardinals for the remainder of the game, as the squad forced Louisville to strand two in the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh, to secure the 9-5 victory.