Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSB | Late-inning heroics from Tilford, Gibbs lead to SU sweep of St. John's
By Michael Bonner
Posted: 4/20/08, 11:26 PM EST Section: Sports
Rachel Tilford stood waiting in the on-deck circle for an opportunity to resurrect her power numbers. She watched Amy Kelley foul a pitch almost directly behind her, and right on line to hit Tilford.
Tilford swung and hit Kelley's foul ball, which then landed on the field of play creating a scary situation into an eruption of laughter inside the Syracuse dugout.
"I said (to my teammates), 'That would be my only hit of the day,'" Tilford said.
Thankfully for the Orange it wouldn't be.
Nine innings later, Tilford hit another ball resulting in another eruption by her teammates. This time, though, she was in the batter's box, and the ball landed over the fence. Tilford's walk-off home run with one out in the ninth gave SU a 1-0 win in the first game of the doubleheader against St. John's.
The momentum from the second walk-off home run in Syracuse history bled over into the second game, another SU win, 2-1.
Syracuse had opportunities in the first game to score but couldn't come up with the key hit when it needed it most. In the first and third innings, SU managed to get runners to third with two outs but couldn't advance the runner the final 90 feet.
"We had some hits here and there, it just wasn't the right time," Syracuse head coach Leigh Ross said. "…My general overall feeling was why aren't we hitting the ball? Pitching is on. Defense was good now we have to pull that other part together."
It took nine innings for the offense to finally come alive. Tilford was 0-for-3 on the day but revived the offense, along with her power numbers. Tilford finished last season as the team leader in home runs with 10. Through 38 games this year the outfielder was tied for sixth on the team with one home run.
In the second inning, Tilford thought she put one over the fence, but Red Storm left fielder Bionka King made the catch on the warning track. In the ninth, Tilford had the same feeling but wasn't going to take any chances.
Tilford swung and hit Kelley's foul ball, which then landed on the field of play creating a scary situation into an eruption of laughter inside the Syracuse dugout.
"I said (to my teammates), 'That would be my only hit of the day,'" Tilford said.
Thankfully for the Orange it wouldn't be.
Nine innings later, Tilford hit another ball resulting in another eruption by her teammates. This time, though, she was in the batter's box, and the ball landed over the fence. Tilford's walk-off home run with one out in the ninth gave SU a 1-0 win in the first game of the doubleheader against St. John's.
The momentum from the second walk-off home run in Syracuse history bled over into the second game, another SU win, 2-1.
Syracuse had opportunities in the first game to score but couldn't come up with the key hit when it needed it most. In the first and third innings, SU managed to get runners to third with two outs but couldn't advance the runner the final 90 feet.
"We had some hits here and there, it just wasn't the right time," Syracuse head coach Leigh Ross said. "…My general overall feeling was why aren't we hitting the ball? Pitching is on. Defense was good now we have to pull that other part together."
It took nine innings for the offense to finally come alive. Tilford was 0-for-3 on the day but revived the offense, along with her power numbers. Tilford finished last season as the team leader in home runs with 10. Through 38 games this year the outfielder was tied for sixth on the team with one home run.
In the second inning, Tilford thought she put one over the fence, but Red Storm left fielder Bionka King made the catch on the warning track. In the ninth, Tilford had the same feeling but wasn't going to take any chances.
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