Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSB | Weekend sweep pushes SU into Big East tournament
By Didier Morais
Posted: 4/28/08, 10:33 PM EST Section: Sports
Going into the weekend, the Syracuse softball team knew it needed either two victories or a Villanova loss to secure a spot in the Big East tournament.
The Orange didn't need help. SU swept Pittsburgh and took care of business on its own.
"We knew that we needed two (wins)," Syracuse head coach Leigh Ross said. "It was us and Villanova, and we needed two to get in there. I like how we took care of our own business and just won two and didn't rely on a team to lose for us to get in. It's a little sweeter when you do it that way."
With its postseason fate determined, the Orange welcomes Buffalo to the Syracuse Softball Stadium Wednesday for a 1 p.m. start. SU puts the finishing touches on its regular-season schedule with Big East games against No. 23 DePaul Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Notre Dame Sunday at noon.
The Orange (20-26, 11-7) swept conference rival Pittsburgh, 5-3 and 2-1, Saturday en route to clinching its fourth consecutive Big East tournament berth.
Lindsay Wasek led the way in the opener, drilling a two-run home run in the fourth to overcome a 3-1 deficit and revitalize her dejected teammates.
"Pitt scored all their runs off of our errors," Ross said. "And I thought to myself, 'Oh no, I hope we aren't going that way again.' But once (Wasek) hit that home run, you could feel the energy all the way down the bench. Everybody was like, 'This is going our way, and they won't take it away from us.'"
After regaining focus, the Orange jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the second game. This time around, key pitching played the decisive role in the game's final outcome.
Receiving little run support, pitcher Chanel Roehner was nothing short of spectacular, throwing a complete-game four-hitter. At one point between the third and sixth inning, she retired 10 consecutive batters. In the bottom of the seventh, Roehner struck out senior outfielder Rebecca Stottlemyer to end the game and solidify Syracuse's place in the Big East tournament.
The Orange didn't need help. SU swept Pittsburgh and took care of business on its own.
"We knew that we needed two (wins)," Syracuse head coach Leigh Ross said. "It was us and Villanova, and we needed two to get in there. I like how we took care of our own business and just won two and didn't rely on a team to lose for us to get in. It's a little sweeter when you do it that way."
With its postseason fate determined, the Orange welcomes Buffalo to the Syracuse Softball Stadium Wednesday for a 1 p.m. start. SU puts the finishing touches on its regular-season schedule with Big East games against No. 23 DePaul Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Notre Dame Sunday at noon.
The Orange (20-26, 11-7) swept conference rival Pittsburgh, 5-3 and 2-1, Saturday en route to clinching its fourth consecutive Big East tournament berth.
Lindsay Wasek led the way in the opener, drilling a two-run home run in the fourth to overcome a 3-1 deficit and revitalize her dejected teammates.
"Pitt scored all their runs off of our errors," Ross said. "And I thought to myself, 'Oh no, I hope we aren't going that way again.' But once (Wasek) hit that home run, you could feel the energy all the way down the bench. Everybody was like, 'This is going our way, and they won't take it away from us.'"
After regaining focus, the Orange jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the second game. This time around, key pitching played the decisive role in the game's final outcome.
Receiving little run support, pitcher Chanel Roehner was nothing short of spectacular, throwing a complete-game four-hitter. At one point between the third and sixth inning, she retired 10 consecutive batters. In the bottom of the seventh, Roehner struck out senior outfielder Rebecca Stottlemyer to end the game and solidify Syracuse's place in the Big East tournament.
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