Softball Defeats Syracuse 6-5 in Extra Innings in BIG EAST Quarterfinals

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 8, 2008) - The University of Connecticut softball team came from behind to defeat Syracuse 6-5 in nine innings Thursday in the BIG EAST quarterfinals. UConn advances to the BIG EAST semifinals on Friday for the first time since 2001 where they will face DePaul at 2:30 p.m.

The game was scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m., but due to rain in the Louisville area the start was delayed until 11:20 a.m.

Once the game got underway, the Huskies took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Danielle Del Ponte (Tewksbury, Mass.) hit her team leading eighth home run of the season. It was a three-run shot that scored Liz Gallinaro (Amherst, Mass.) and Jillian Ortega (Aberdeen, N.J.).

With the rain coming down in the top of the fourth, the Orange were able to get a couple of runners on base due to two UConn fielding errors. With two outs, Lindsay Wasek singled towards shortstop, scoring a run. Starting pitcher Tricia Sullivan (New Bedford, Mass.) was able to get the next batter to ground out to third and end the threat.

The Orange took a 5-3 lead with four runs in the top of the fifth. After Amy Kelley singled to score a run and cut the Syracuse deficit to 3-2, the next batter Hallie Gibbs sent a long shot to left field that scored three more and gave the Orange their first lead of the day.

Allie Gendron (Belchertown, Mass.) pulled UConn to within one at 5-4 with a solo shot to right field with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. The rains then came in the top of the sixth and the tarps were pulled back on the field.

Following a two hour 32 minute rain delay, the game resumed. In the bottom of the seventh, Justyne Roy (North Dighton, Mass.) led off the inning with a single. Jessica Arremony (Griswold, Conn.) then sacrificed her over to second base. After a groundout, Gendron singled home Roy to tie the game at five and send the game to extra innings.

Syracuse had the first threat of extra innings in the top of the ninth when they loaded the bases with two outs. Gibbs then hit a fly ball to right field, but Melissa Lucas (Methuen, Mass.) made the catch to end the inning.

The bottom of the ninth started with a Roy single. Meghan Tierney (Salem, Conn.) sacrificed her to second. Ortega sent a bloop single to center that advanced Roy to third. From there Syracuse starter Brittany Gardner threw a wild pitch and Roy came into score.

For the game Gendron was 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Del Ponte was 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored. Sullivan pitched all nine innings, giving up four earned runs while striking out 11.

The Huskies game on Friday against DePaul will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports (formally CSTV). It can also be heard live on WHUS 91.7.