Syracuse Shuts Out Niagara, 5-0

Tuesday, April 22

Syracuse, NY

6 pm

Syracuse University

21-22

Niagara

13-25

Niagara University

Syracuse

4/22/2014 8:20:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Senior Jasmine Watson goes 2-for-2 with a home run, a double and 2 RBIs to lead the Orange

Box Score | Blog Replay

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse softball team got a dominating performance from freshman Sydney O'Hara in the circle as the Orange shutout Niagara, 5-0 on Tuesday, April 22 at the SU Softball Stadium.

"I think we needed to get back home to get some momentum," said head coach Leigh Ross. "I think we lost some last weekend (at Florida State). I think we started piecing together the hits and getting some timely hits and that's what killed us last weekend. We didn't have the timely hits, we didn't have the big hits. So it's nice to feel that again."

Since March 11, Syracuse (21-22) has gone 16-4 against teams either not ranked or not receiving votes. Niagara (13-25) on the otherhand, has lost 10 of its last 12.

O'Hara (14-10), who also went 1-for-2 at the plate with a two-run double, was nearly unhittable against the Purple Eagles, surrendering just three hits for her seventh shutout and 12th complete game of the season while striking out nine. The seven blank sheets are tied for third in a single-season and most by a freshman in one campaign, while also ranking tied for sixth in a career. It was also the sixth complete game effort that O'Hara gave up three hits or less in.

"Syd came out and was throwing harder than I've seen her throw in a while. You could tell that she was on a mission," said Ross.

Senior Jasmine Watson was a perfect 2-for-2 with a homer and double, drove in two runs and reached base in all three trips to the plate. It was the 13th home run of the season for Watson, which ranks third in a single-season at SU. Sophomore Corinne Ozanne hit her 20th career blast and became just the ninth player in school history to reach that mark. Freshman Alyssa Dewes was 2-for-2 as well.

Syracuse wasted no time jumping on Niagara pitcher Bridget Hogan as Ozanne and Watson hit back-to-back jacks with two outs in the first inning to give the Orange a 2-0 lead. It was the second straight home game the pair hit consecutive homer.

Watson also added an RBI double in the third that drove in freshman Nicole Lundstrom, who got on with a double of her own two batters earlier.

Although the Orange bats were connecting, it was O'Hara's performance on the rubber that stuck out once again. She took a perfect game into the fourth inning after retiring the first 10 batters of the game, five via strikeouts. Niagara looked to put something together after breaking up the perfect game with consecutive singles by Chanelle Ward and Hogan, but O'Hara got the next two out to end the threat.

In the home half of the fifth, O'Hara helped out her own cause, driving in two on her 14th double of the season to extend the Syracuse advantage to 5-0. The 14 two-baggers are tied for third in a single-season at SU.

The back-to-back hits in the fourth didn't get to O'Hara as she went on to retire nine in a row before allowing a double to Aileen Hinton with one out in the seventh. O'Hara then got the next two batters out on five pitches to close out the game.

"Thursday hopefully we can get two games in, and if this weekend can be nice for us hopefully get on a little roll going into the (ACC) tournament," said Ross.

Syracuse wraps up the non-conference slate on Thursday, April 24 with a doubleheader at Canisius beginning at 3:30 p.m. and will close out the regular season with ACC-foe Virginia Tech on Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27.