Wild Walk-Off Win Salvages Split For SU

Wednesday, April 16

Syracuse, NY

3 pm

Syracuse University

18-19, 9-8

Boston College

23-17, 7-9

Boston College

Syracuse

4/16/2014 11:26:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Sophomore Corinne Ozanne homers twice, drives in five and freshman Sydney O'Hara drives in the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh

Game One Box | Game Two Box | Blog Replay | Game Two Highlights

SYRACUSE, N.Y, - Down to its final strike on three occasions, the Syracuse softball team rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh and won the nightcap 13-12 after falling to Boston College 2-0 in the opener on Wednesday, April 16 at the SU Softball Stadium.

The Orange (19-19, 10-8 ACC) entered the final inning trailing 12-10 after leading 9-3 in through the third inning. Sophomore Corinne Ozanne started the comeback by drawing a two-out, full-count walk and scored all the way from first on a double to right center by Jasmine Watson to make it a one-run game. Junior Julie Wambold drove in pinch runner sophomore Riley Johnson on a single that knotted the score at 12-12 and advanced to second on the throw home. That brought up freshman Sydney O'Hara, who smacked a single back up the middle to plate Wambold for her first career walk-off hit.

Syracuse held leads of 3-0 and 9-3 when eight unanswered runs by the Eagles (23-18, 7-10 ACC) in the fourth through sixth innings gave Boston College an 11-9 lead. The teams traded runs in each of their respective half innings before the Orange rally in the final inning. In the opener pitching was the dominant factor as the Eagles shutout the Orange 2-0.

Six Syracuse players recorded multi-hit games in the night affair – accounting for all18 hits, which matched a season-high for the third time this campaign and finished just one off a program-record. The Orange also had 18 hits at Pittsburgh on April 13 most recently.

Wambold and O'Hara each finished the second game 4-for-5. Wambold, who doubled, drove in a run and scored three, had her second four-hit game of the season. For O'Hara, it was the third time in the last four contests that she produced four hits. She doubled twice, bringing her season total to 13, which is tied for fifth most in a single-season at SU. In addition to her strong hitting performance, O'Hara also earned the win in relief, improving to 13-8 after entering the game in the fifth.

Ozanne posted a season-high five runs batted in, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and three runs scored. It was the second time this year Ozanne registered a multi-homer game and the third time in her career. She is just one of four players to have at least three career multi-homer games and one of three to half two in the same season. The 18th career homer also moves her into 10th all-time at Syracuse.

Watson notched three hits, including a solo shot, while senior Shirley Daniels and sophomore Danielle Chitkowski both had two. Watson now has 12 blasts on the season, a career-high and good for third most in a single-season at SU.

SU jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the second game on five hits in the opening inning. After a leadoff single by Daniels, Ozanne crushed a two-run homer to put SU on the scoreboard. Wambold, O'Hara and Chitkowski all followed with singles as Wambold came in to score on Chitkowski's base knock.

Boston College came back to tie the game with a run in the second on a Weed solo shot and added two more runs in the third on four singles. It started with a hit by Tatiana Cortez, who went to second on a sacrifice bunt. A single by Megan Cooley put runners at the corners and Cortez crossed the plate on a single by Nicole D'Argento. Tory Speer capped the scoring in the inning on another single for the Eagles.

In the bottom half of the frame, Syracuse exploded for six runs to break the tie and go up 9-3. Ozanne smashed her second homer of the game and Watson made it back-to-back jacks for a 5-3 lead. Consecutive doubles by Wambold and O'Hara brought in another run. The Orange loaded the bases and freshman Alyssa Dewes hit a sacrifice fly to left that scored O'Hara. Upon loading the bases again, Ozanne dropped in a bloop single down the right field line for her second hit of the inning that plated two more.

Over the next three innings, the Eagles came all the way back and took the lead with eight straight runs, starting with a five-run fourth to get within 9-8. Boston College put a runner on every base following singles by Weed and Cortez and a walk. Cooley then walked, scoring a run, D'Argento hit an RBI single and Speer crushed a two-run double to right center. With a pair of runners in scoring position, a wild pitch allowed D'Argento to scoot home.

BC wasn't done there, though, pushing across one in the fifth on an RBI single by Cooley to even the score and two more on a double by Cortez the next inning to take its first lead of the second game.

Syracuse was able to get one back in the home half of the sixth on O'Hara's one-out double to left center to close the gap to 11-10. SU eventually loaded the bases in the inning and had the go-ahead run on second, but D'Argento picked up a strikeout to end the threat.

In the top of the seventh, Boston College plated what looked to be an insurance run at the time and make it a two-run ball game again when Jessie Daulton singled up the middle to drive in Speer.

D'Argento (14-12) trotted back out for the final inning and retired the first two batters before issuing the full count walk to Ozanne and three straight hits that brought the winning run in for the Orange.

The teams combined for 25 runs and 34 hits, both the most since 31 runs scored on 35 hits in a 16-15 loss to Seton Hall last year on April 20.

In game one, Boston College scored twice in the fourth, giving D'Argento all the help she would need to toss her fourth shutout of the season.

Daniels finished 2-for-3 with her third triple of the year, which is tied for fifth in a single-season at SU. Watson and freshman Nicole Lundstrom both had singles. For Lundstrom, she has reached base safely in 31-of-38 games this season.

Despite taking the loss, O'Hara had a solid outing, allowing two runs on four hits in her 10th complete game effort of the season.

Syracuse looked to get things going in the first inning with a runner on second after Lundstrom singled and moved up on a balk. On the next pitch, Watson drove a single through the right side and Lundstrom attempted to score, but was thrown out by right fielder Taylor Coroneos at the plate to end the inning.

The Orange found itself in a similar situation two innings later when Dewes was hit by a pitch and stole second to get into scoring position. Daniels laced a single through the right side and Coroneos came up firing once again, this time gunning Dewes out at home to save another run.

That proved to be crucial in a game where runs were limited for both teams.

O'Hara quickly retired the first two batters of the fourth, however the next five all reached base, with two coming in to score to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. Alana DiMaso started things off with a double down the left field line to break up O'Hara's no-hitter, and scored on Daulton's single up the middle. Weed followed with a double to the left center gap that brought in Daulton all the way from first and make it 2-0.

BC looked to add more after a walk and hit by pitch loaded the bases, but O'Hara pitcher her way out of the jam by striking out her fourth batter of the day.

Over the final three and a half innings the teams combined for just two hits - one apiece - as both pitchers stifled the opposition. O'Hara retired 10 of the final 12 batters she faced while D'Argento had sat down eight in a row before getting into some trouble.

Daniels tripled to straight away center and following an out, Ozanne walked to put the tying run on first and go-ahead run up to bat. Watson was able to get ahold of one pitch but left fielder Annie Sommers made a diving catch by the warning track in foul territory to get the Eagles out of the frame.

D'Argento came back out to pitch a perfect seventh to close out what she started.

The Orange has a quick turnaround and will make the short trip to Colgate for a 5 p.m. game on Thursday, April 17.