‘Cuse Splits With Reigning A-10 Champs

Wednesday, April 1

New York, NY

3:00 PM EST

Syracuse University

13-17

Fordham

15-14

Syracuse

Fordham

4/1/2015 7:52:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Syracuse used the long ball to take game one but its offense fell short in game two

BRONX, N.Y. – Syracuse (13-18) used the long ball to defeat the 2013 and 2014 Atlantic 10 Champions in game one, 4-2, but it was Fordham (16-14) that came out on top in game two, 7-3. Six of Syracuse's seven runs today came off the long ball.

Game One Highlights

Jocelyn Cater struck out six, walked two and only allowed two runs, one of which was earned in the complete game victory.
Sydney O'Hara's sixth home run of the season was the difference as she belted a three-run bomb in the third to take a 3-0 lead. She finished the game three-for-four with three runs batted in and a run scored.
Maddi Doane added insurance in the fourth, ripping a line drive over the centerfield fence for her first career home run. She was one-for-three in the game with a walk, a run batted in and two runs scored.
Corinne Ozanne singled and scored a run on O'Hara's homer.
Julie Wambold didn't record an at-bat as she was walked four times.
Rachel Burkhardt singled in the game.

Long Balls Complement Cater's In The Circle
Each team was held scoreless for the first two innings of the game until O'Hara launched a three-run home run after Doane had led off the inning with a walk and Ozanne singled up the middle. Doane added to the lead the following inning with a rocket over the center field fence for her first career home run and extending Syracuse's lead to 4-0.

Fordham cut the lead to three in the bottom of the inning after a double and a triple hit back-to-back drove in the first run of the game for the Rams with one out. However, with even with a runner on third and just one out Cater get an easy grounder with the infield in and a strikeout to follow to escape the inning without any further damage. The Rams inched closer in the bottom of the sixth after the leadoff hitter reached second on an error and a wild pitch advanced her to third. In the ensuing at-bat, Fordham came a foot short of a home run but would settle for a ground-rule double that made it a 4-2 game in favor of Syracuse.

Game Two Highlights

Corinne Ozanne picked up her 10^th home run of the season in the first inning to give 'Cuse a 2-0 lead. She was one-for-three in the contest with two runs batted in and a run scored.
Sammy Fernandez singled and scored a run in the game.
Down in the count with two outs and runners on the corners, Rachel Burkhardt ripped an RBI single into left, scoring Julie Wambold and pulling the Orange within one of the Rams.
AnnaMarie Gatti made her first collegiate appearance in the game and recorded her first career strikeout.

'Cuse Can't Fend Off The Rams
After using the long ball to defeat the Rams in game one, Syracuse jumped on the scoreboard in the first with a two-run shot to left by Ozanne, scoring Fernandez to take a 2-0 lead. Despite a fast start, Syracuse was held silent the next two innings, allowing Fordham to use a ground-rule double and two home runs to take a 4-2 lead after three innings.

Just a strike away from a scoreless fourth for the Orange, Burkhardt ripped a single down the left field line to score Wambold from third and pull within one of the Rams. However, that was the closest Syracuse would come to reclaiming the lead as the Rams used a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to solidify their 7-3 victory against the Orange.