Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSB | Catcher Kelley's 3 home runs cap tense weekend
By Didier Morais
Posted: 4/20/08, 11:35 PM EST Section: Sports
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Kelley blasted three home runs during the Orange's sweep, 4-3 and 5-4, Sunday against Seton Hall. The junior, who leads the Big East with 11 home runs, became only the second Orange player to hit three homers in one day, the first to do so since Alexis Switenko accomplished the feat in 2003 against Providence. With the sweep of the Pirates, the Orange improved to 18-25 overall and 9-7 within the conference.
"Amy just had one of those days when she was just in the zone," said SU head coach Leigh Ross. "This game is just one of many great ones she has had this year, and she keeps proving that she is one of the top players in the Big East. Our team fed off what Amy did."
Kelley's sensational day began in the sixth inning of the opening match when she belted a solo shot to straightaway center. The home run jump-started a three-run inning, helping SU overcome a 3-0 deficit to the Pirates.
But for the second time in three days, SU relied on late-inning heroics to claim victory - which was sealed for the Orange on a peculiar play.
In the bottom of the seventh, the game was knotted at three with junior shortstop Jamie Kelling on first. Chanel Roehner laid down a sacrifice bunt, attempting to advance Kelling to second. To the crowd's surprise, Kelling passed second and started hustling toward third. The aggressive decision startled Seton Hall second baseman Leah Menichetti, who forced a wild throw to third that rolled into the outfield, allowing Kelling to score the game-winning run.
"I had faith in Chanel, so I knew she would lay the bunt down," Kelling said. "But when I was rounding second, I saw that nobody was really covering third, so I went for it."
But the real highlight of the doubleheader was Kelley's personal home run derby. In her first at-bat of the second game, Kelley unloaded a two-run shot, giving the Orange an early 2-0 lead. The Pirates answered with two runs in the top of the second. During her next plate appearance, Kelley drove in Kelling and Roehner with a three-run bomb and became the first Orange player to hit three home runs on three consecutive plate appearances.
"I was really relaxed, but the credit goes to Jamie and Chanel," Kelley said. "If they weren't on base, then it would be a completely different ball game, so props to them as well."
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