Syracuse Sweeps First Day At Mary Nutter

Friday, February 21

Cathedral City, Calif.

1 pm EST

Syracuse University

3-3

UC Davis

4-10

UC Davis

Syracuse

2/21/2014 9:11:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Julie Wambold Blasts Two Home Runs On The Day

UC Davis Box Score | UC Davis Blog Replay | Cal Poly Box Score | Cal Poly Blog Replay

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - The Syracuse softball team won both of its games to open the 2014 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Friday, Feb. 21.

The Orange (4-3) rallied to defeat UC Davis (4-10) in the opener 7-5, then held on for a 3-2 victory against California Poly (5-8) to close out the day. Junior Julie Wambold and freshman Nicole Lundstrom provided the offense while freshman Sydney O'Hara pitched both games in relief, earning a win and a save.

Wambold smacked two home runs and went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in (RBI) and three runs scored. Lundstrom was 4-for-6 in the two games with a triple and three RBIs. She is the only player on the roster to reach base in all seven games.

"I think we're starting to settle down a bit and trust each other more," said head coach Leigh Ross. "That game (versus California Poly) we had two freshmen pitching, and I'm really proud of them. And a freshman behind the plate calling the game. That's huge."

In the first game, Wambold and Lundstrom each went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs batted in. Wambold had a two-run homer and a double while Lundstrom recorded a triple. Senior Shirley Daniels added a solo blast as well.

O'Hara picked up her second win of the season, going 2.2 innings of relief and allowing just two hits while striking out six. Junior Lindsay Taylor started the game allowing four earn runs with five strikeouts in the no decision.

Between the two teams, a total of five runs were scored in the first inning with two outs. Taylor quickly struck out the first two batters, but two runs came across on Lauren Saunders' single up the middle. Syracuse answered in the bottom half of the inning with three runs, all coming with two outs as well. Wambold doubled and later scored on an errant throw down to second following a walk to Corinne Ozanne. After a walk, Nicole Lundstrom laced a single up the middle to give the Orange a 3-2 lead.

The score stayed that way until the fifth when each team plated three runs in the inning to set the score at 6-5 in favor of the Orange.

UC Davis loaded the bases with no outs when Saunders doubled to right field that drove in two runs and put the Aggies back on top 4-3. A hard ground out by Alicia Payne tacked on another run and left a runner on third with only one out. O'Hara then entered the game and struck out two batters to end the threat.

In the bottom of the inning, Daniels went deep to right center with one away to cut the deficit to one. After a single by O'Hara, Wambold smashed her second long ball of the season to the same spot to retake the lead for the Orange at 6-5.

Syracuse added an insurance run in the sixth after Lundstrom started off the inning with a triple and scored on a freshman Ellie Forkin's two-out pinch hit single.

The Aggies had the tying run at the plate in the seventh following a two-out walk, but O'Hara struck out the final batter – her fourth knockout in five batters - for the win.

Wambold and Lundstrom were back at it in the second game again. Wambold hit a home run for the third straight game, which proved to be the winning run. Lundstrom was 2-for-3 again and drove in another run. Freshman Christina Clermont earned her first collegiate win allowing two runs on three hits while striking out eight in six innings. O'Hara picked up her first save with a perfect seventh and also had two hits at the plate.

Syracuse broke open a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second on Riley Johnson's sacrifice fly. Lundstrom and Danielle Chitkowski led off the inning with singles and both moved up a base on a wild pitch. That set up Johnson's long fly ball to left field that allowed Lundstrom to trot on home.

Both teams combined to leave five runners on base in the third, but the Orange were able to push another run across the plate to take a 2-0 lead. In the top half of the inning, Clermont worked out of a two-out, bases loaded jam to preserve the shutout. O'Hara started things in the bottom half with an infield single and went to second when Wambold was hit by a pitch. Three batters later, Lundstrom drove in O'Hara on a single to right field.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Wambold gave Syracuse a 3-0 cushion on her second blast of the day. It was also the third straight game with a homer for Wambold. That extra run proved to be crucial as Clermont's opposing pitcher, Sierra Hyland, drilled a two-run shot to left field to cut the Mustang deficit to 3-2.

"One mistake pitch - that's bascially all it was. One mistake pitch that they capitalized on." said Ross. "Good thing we added an extra run. Its a good win for us."

Clermont retired the next two batters and O'Hara went 1-2-3 in the seventh to close it out.

Syracuse continues play in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a game against defending national champion, No. 18/13 Oklahoma on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 12:30 p.m. (EST).