Softball Rallies to Split with DePaul

Wednesday, April 25

Chicago, Ill.

1:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

DePaul

Grant put SU ahead 3-2 with a two-run HR in the seventh inning

Photo by: Brother Charles McBride

4/25/2012 5:40:37 PM | Softball

Game One | Game Two | Season Stats

CHICAGO – A two-run home run by Veronica Grant in the top of the seventh and another two-run homer from Stephaine Watts in the ninth of game two helped Syracuse (35-12, 12-4) salvage a doubleheader split with DePaul (28-18, 9-7) at Cacciatore Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

Syracuse lost in first game 3-2, then rallied to win the second game 5-3 in nine innings. The Orange is now 4-0 in extra innings this season.

The 12 strikeouts in game one for Jenna Caira was her third-straight contest of reaching double-digit K's. She added six more in game two and is now 14 away from 1,000 in her career.

Game One: DePaul 3, Syracuse 2
The Blue Demons opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. With DePaul runners on second and third, Bree Brown laid down a bunt which scored Allie Braden, while Paige Peterson also scored on an errant throw to the plate by Caira.

DePaul then took a 3-0 advantage in the third inning when Blue Demons' starting pitcher Kirsten Verdun doubled down the fight field line for her team-leading 36th RBI of the season.

The Orange rallied with two runs in the top of the fifth inning when Jasmine Watson led off the inning with a double for SU's first hit of the game. After Julie Wambold was hit by a pitch, Carey-Leigh Thomas hit one to deep right field which Katelyn Braget was unable to handle and allowed Emily Thompson, Watson's pinch runner, to score. Leah Porter then scored Wambold with her first RBI of the season, singling to right field.

That fifth inning would be the only offense Syracuse generated for the remainder of the game as Verdun retired SU in order in both the sixth and seventh inning to hold on for the victory.

Game Two: Syracuse 5, DePaul 3 (Nine Innings)
As DePaul did in game one, the Blue Demons scored the game's first run, this time in the bottom of the opening frame. Verdun singled and moved to second on an illegal pitch, then scored while there was a run-down between first and second base to put DePaul ahead 1-0.

Lacey Kohl brought Syracuse even in the top of the second when her double scored Thomas from first base. The Blue Demons then regained the lead with an RBI double from leadoff hitter Lynsey Ciezki in the bottom of the third for a 2-1 advantage.

Despite SU threatening in both the fourth and the fifth inning, the score would remain 2-1 until the top of the seventh inning when Grant hit a monster home run to right center field. The two-run shot also scored Morgan Nandin who reached on a walk in the previous at-bat.

DePaul tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh as Katelyn Braden doubled to lead off, and then scored two batters later when a throwing error by Thomas went into the outfield as she tried to get Braden advancing to third. DePaul had a chance to drive in the winning run, but Caira, who entered for Stacy Kuwik in the fifth inning, got Samantha Dodd to strike out and the two teams went to extras.

Neither team would score in the eighth, but after Grant reached base for the fifth time of the game with a one out double, Watts then smacked her seventh home run of the year for the game-winning runs.

Grant was 4-for-5 in game two with two runs scored and two RBI. This was the second time Grant has hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, with the other one coming two weeks ago at Notre Dame.

Syracuse continues its seven-game road trip this weekend with a trio of games at Connecticut. Saturday is a double-header with first pitch at noon, while Sunday's single-game finale is also at noon