SU Takes Break From ACC, Plays Niagara And Canisius

SYRACUSE ORANGE VS. NIAGARA PURPLE EAGLES
Game Details	Tuesday, April 22 at 6 p.m.
Game Coverage	Twitter: @Cuse_Softball Live Updates: In-Game Blog Live Stats Game Changer
SUSB Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule \| Statstics \| Quick Facts \| Media Guide
NIA Links	Roster \| Schedule \| Statstics \| Media Guide

SYRACUSE ORANGE AT CANISIUS GOLDEN GRIFFINS
Game Details	Thursday, April 24 at 3:30 p.m. \| 5:30 p.m.
Game Coverage	Twitter: @Cuse_Softball Live Updates: In-Game Blog Live Stats Game Changer
SUSB Links	Game Notes \| Roster \| Schedule \| Statstics \| Quick Facts \| Media Guide
CAN Links	Roster \| Schedule \| Statstics \| @GriffsSoftball

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse softball team looks to bounce back from its weekend sweep at No. 9/8 Florida State with three non-conference games between Tuesday, April 22 and Thursday April 24. First up the Orange hosts Niagara for a 6 p.m. tilt on Tuesday, then will travel west to Buffalo for a doubleheader at Canisius beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.

LAST TIME OUT:
Syracuse was swept in three games at nationally-ranked No. 9/8 Florida State, behind the one-two pitching duo of seven-time ACC Pitcher of the Week Lacey Waldrop and National Freshman of the Year finalist Jessica Borroughs. The Orange lost Saturday's doubleheader 7-1 and 5-0 and Sunday's finale 9-1 in six innings. Freshman Sydney O'Hara batted .625 (5-8) and junior Mary Dombrowski hit .429 (3-7) as the two combined for half of SU's hits on the weekend. In the opener, Syracuse tagged Waldrop for seven hits, which was just the fourth time in 33 starts this season she allowed that many.

LEADING OFF:
Senior Shirley Daniels hit the first leadoff homer of her career in SU's 11-1 win at Colgate on April 17. It was only the fifth time an Orange hit a home run to begin a game and just the first since Tonye McCorkle on April 28, 2006.

O'HARA TABBED ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR SECOND TIME:
For the second time this season, freshman Sydney O'Hara was selected the ACC Player of the Week after leading the Orange to a 5-0 record. She is just one of three players in the conferece to be honored the Player of the Week twice and is the only freshman to hold that distinction. In the five games, O'Hara batted .500 (9-18) with seven RBIs, three doubles and a homer. She also got the job done in the circle, going 2-0 with a save, 15 strikeouts, two complete games - one of those being a two-hit shutout.

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT:
Since beginning ACC play, Syracuse has been one of the best teams in the league offensively. In conference-only games, the Orange rank in the top-three in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. The teams' batting average of .338 is just three points behind Notre Dame for the top spot, while the .431 on-base percentage is the best in the league. SU's .554 slugging percentage ranks third in conference games. The Orange is on pace to set program records as a team in all three categories.

OZANNE IN THE ZONE:
Sophomore Corinne Ozanne's streaks of 11 straight games with a hit, which tied for the sixth longest in SU history, and reaching base in 16 games in a row, good for 10th longest, were both snapped at the beginning of April. During the hit streak, Ozanne batted .528 (19-36) with three homers and seven RBIs, while raising her batting average by .145. Recently versus Boston College, Ozanne recorded her second multi-homer game of the season and third of her career, joining only three other players in Syracuse history who have accomplished either.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:
NIAGARA: The Purple Eagles (12-23, 2-8 MAAC) enter their game with Syracuse having lost the last three contests and eight of the last nine. Niagara has just two wins in conference, both coming against Iona in a doubleheader. Bridget Hogan currently leads the team in nearly every offensive category, ranking first with a .340 average, 36 hits, seven doubles, three homers and 17 RBIs. In the circle, Jennifer Sansano has pitched more than half the innings and owns an 8-7 record with a team-best 2.71 ERA and 98 strikeouts.

CANISIUS: After losing 15-of-17 at one point, Canisius (12-24, 3-7 MAAC) has started to turn things around going 8-8 since March 22. Lindsey Silfer is one dour Golden Griffins to post a batting average above .300, pacing the team at .340 while sitting near the top of the team in hits (35), doubles (6) and RBIs (11). Providing the power is Meghan Cuda and her eight homers and 20 RBIs. Seeing the brunt of the workload in the circle is Jen Consaul, who is 11-15 with 23 complete games in 30 appearances.

SERIES HISTORY:
Syracuse has never lost in 10 all-time meetings with Niagara. The pair last squared off in 2011 with the Orange sweeping the doubleheader at home. Prior to that, SU and Niagara played a doubleheader in each year from 2005 to 2008, with the 'Cuse winning all eight games.

Thursday will mark the 16th and 17th games between SU and Canisius, with the Orange owning a 10-5 record. Syracuse won the most recent tilt, 6-5, in 2012 in the second-ever game inside the Carrier Dome on a walkoff single by Kelly Saco. Junior Julie Wmabold homered and tripled in the game as well. Overall, SU has won four-of-five in the series and nine-of-11.

LOOKING AHEAD:
The Orange wrap up the regular season with a three-game series against Virginia Tech at home on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. while the finale on Sunday will be at 12 p.m.

Syracuse University Athletics

SU Takes Break From ACC, Plays Niagara And Canisius

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