Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSB | Gardner goes 11-plus innings, wins both games for Orange
By Michael Bonner
Posted: 4/9/08, 12:44 AM EST Section: Sports
Leigh Ross walked out of the dugout to hand the ball to Brittany Gardner in the third inning of game one of Syracuse's doubleheader against Niagara.
The Orange had just gained the lead, but Niagara was threatening to take it back, and the Syracuse head coach looked to Gardner to stop the bleeding in the middle of the third, even though the sophomore had thrown 14 innings this past weekend.
Gardner did exactly what Ross asked, and more. She pitched the next 11 2/3 innings to preserve a doubleheader sweep for the Orange. Syracuse defeated Niagara, 6-4 and 2-1, Tuesday at the Syracuse Softball Stadium as Gardner earned both wins. She struck out 10 Purple Eagles in the nightcap, a season-high.
"I expect that out of myself," Gardner said. "I never expect anything less than going the distance."
One thing Gardner didn't expect was to pitch both games. She thought she might see some playing time in one, but because she threw 14 innings over the weekend, she wasn't expecting much action, and it showed when she first entered the game.
After freshmen southpaw Angie Spagnelli struggled in her start, Gardner took the mound in relief with runners on first and second, but she loaded them up after hitting the first batter she faced. Niagara's Tory Healy then singled to right driving in another run.
After a sacrifice fly scored another run, Gardner wound up and the ball slipped out of her hand, rolling behind her and allowing a runner on third to score easily. The Orange escaped the inning clinging to a 5-4 lead.
The runners Gardner inherited scored, but they were the last earned runs that would cross the plate rest of the day. After a shaky start, she finished the day having thrown 11 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run and striking out a combined 13 Purple Eagles.
"You could tell that something was just off (in the beginning)," Ross said. "But she kind of picked it up and around the fifth inning started coming around and shutting them down. Her pitches started working. You could see it early on that she was struggling to get her pitches to work but five, six, seven she was throwing well."
The Orange had just gained the lead, but Niagara was threatening to take it back, and the Syracuse head coach looked to Gardner to stop the bleeding in the middle of the third, even though the sophomore had thrown 14 innings this past weekend.
Gardner did exactly what Ross asked, and more. She pitched the next 11 2/3 innings to preserve a doubleheader sweep for the Orange. Syracuse defeated Niagara, 6-4 and 2-1, Tuesday at the Syracuse Softball Stadium as Gardner earned both wins. She struck out 10 Purple Eagles in the nightcap, a season-high.
"I expect that out of myself," Gardner said. "I never expect anything less than going the distance."
One thing Gardner didn't expect was to pitch both games. She thought she might see some playing time in one, but because she threw 14 innings over the weekend, she wasn't expecting much action, and it showed when she first entered the game.
After freshmen southpaw Angie Spagnelli struggled in her start, Gardner took the mound in relief with runners on first and second, but she loaded them up after hitting the first batter she faced. Niagara's Tory Healy then singled to right driving in another run.
After a sacrifice fly scored another run, Gardner wound up and the ball slipped out of her hand, rolling behind her and allowing a runner on third to score easily. The Orange escaped the inning clinging to a 5-4 lead.
The runners Gardner inherited scored, but they were the last earned runs that would cross the plate rest of the day. After a shaky start, she finished the day having thrown 11 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run and striking out a combined 13 Purple Eagles.
"You could tell that something was just off (in the beginning)," Ross said. "But she kind of picked it up and around the fifth inning started coming around and shutting them down. Her pitches started working. You could see it early on that she was struggling to get her pitches to work but five, six, seven she was throwing well."
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