Softball Sweeps Syracuse to Complete Successful Weekend

Box Score game 1 - [pdf] [html]

Box Score game 2 - [pdf] [html]

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (April 6, 2008) - The University of Connecticut softball team swept Syracuse in a doubleheader Sunday. The Huskies won game one by a score of 9-1 in five innings, then came from behind to defeat the Orange 7-6 in game two. UConn is now 15-13 on the year, and 4-2 in the BIG EAST. Syracuse is 12-19 and 5-3.

UConn had the bats going early in game one, with the first four Huskies to come to bat all scoring. Justyne Roy (North Dighton, Mass.) brought the first two runs home when she singled to right field. Later in the inning Micah Truax (South Glen Falls, N.Y.) made it 4-0 when she doubled to center field, scoring two more runs.

The Huskies added a single run in both the second and fourth innings, while the Orange scored one in the bottom of the third. With the score 6-1 entering the fifth, Truax singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. The next batter Allie Gendron (Belchertown, Mass.) walked. After Erin Burtner (Jefferson, Md.) sacrificed them to second and third base, a wild pitch allowed Truax to score. Kristina Tolles (Southington, Conn.) then hit her first home run of the season to make it 9-1. Syracuse was unable to score in the bottom of the fifth, and the game ended due to the eight run mercy rule.

Roy was 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run scored. Truax was 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored. Tricia Sullivan (New Bedford, Mass.) pitched all five innings, allowing only three hits and zero earned runs, while striking out six.

In game two, Syracuse jumped to a 3-0 lead when they scored three runs in the bottom of the third off of starter Rachael Crossin (Fairless Hills, Pa.). UConn cut the deficit to 3-1 in the top of the fourth when Burtner doubled home Truax.

In the fifth inning, the Huskies took their first lead of the game when Danielle Del Ponte (Tewksbury, Mass.) hit a three-run home run to make the score 4-3. However the Orange answered back with three of their own in the bottom of the inning. After chasing Crossin out of the game by putting two runners on base with two out, Amy Kelley hit a three-run home run of her own off of Sullivan to put Syracuse back on top 6-4.

Julie Towers (Goodlettsville, Tenn.) hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth to pull UConn to within one at 6-5. The next batter Roy singled to right field scoring Meghan Tierney (Salem, Conn.), and the game went into the seventh inning tied at six.

Sarah Neuschwander (Chugiak, Alaska) broke the tie with her fourth home run of the season. The Orange was able to get a runner on in the bottom of the seventh, but Sullivan forced Kelley to fly out to centerfield, and UConn had swept their first BIG EAST doubleheader of the season.

In game two, Truax was 2-for-3 with one run scored. Del Ponte was 1-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored. Sullivan picked up her second win of the afternoon, pitching two and one-third innings, giving up two hits and one run while striking out three.

UConn returns to action this Wednesday when they host Hofstra in non-conference action. Game time is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at the Connecticut Softball Field.