Entering Tuesday’s Providence-Syracuse softball doubleheader, the Friars prided themselves with effective pitching and fielding to limit their opponents’ offense.

Batters averaged a mere .191 at the plate and usually produced two runs a game.

But no more.

The Orange embarrassed the Friars and the stat junkies on Tuesday at Syracuse Softball Stadium. SU shut out Providence 8-0 in five innings in game one, followed by a 12-4 victory in six innings in game two. Both were called early due to the eight-run rule.

Syracuse improved to 6-2 in the Big East and 18-12 overall, its best record through 30 games in the program’s six-year existence. The Orange hopes to make its scoring trend a habit when it travels to Niagara today for a 3 p.m. doubleheader.

The storyline is unoriginal and overstated, but Syracuse’s offense determined whether it won or lost, as usual. On Tuesday, SU strung together 25 hits in the two games, winning both.

‘We have the bats,’ said SU softball head coach Mary Jo Firnbach. ‘They start getting confidence with the bats and know they’re there. Everybody is doing their job one through nine.’

The Orange opened game one with two runs, similar to what it did against St. John’s and Seton Hall last week. Syracuse didn’t produce with long balls, but instead used the fundamentals coaches preach. Sacrifice bunts, smart baserunning, quality hits – the Orange exhibited all three tools.

In the first inning, center fielder Chanel Roehner laid down a bunt to put Tanya Rose in scoring position. But because PC’s infield didn’t play short, Roehner didn’t need to sacrifice.

Two batters after Cassie Morales’ bunt advanced Rose and Roehner to second and third, first baseman Courtney Mosch ripped a single into left field. The hit brought Rose and Roehner home for the 2-0 lead. In addition to its fundamental work, Syracuse exploited Providence’s four errors.

It didn’t take long to secure the win. SU scored six runs in the third inning for an 8-0 cushion.

‘Playing small ball makes the games so much more fun,’ said right fielder Tiffany Robinson. ‘Working a run, not relying on a home run all the time, gets the whole team involved.’

The team partook in another project in game two. Unexpectedly, Providence switched roles with Syracuse and scored four runs in the second inning.

It looked like it would be another typical Orange outing. Syracuse has batted inconsistently, having its act together in one game and falling apart in another. But not this time.

Firnbach replaced Mosch on the mound with Erin Downey, who came off a five-inning performance in game one. With her usual intensity and use of her riseball, the shortness of the first game paid off. Downey came in fully refreshed and ready to go.

The offense didn’t back down, either. And it responded as quickly as possible. Mosch, batting as the first baseman, made up for her struggles on the mound by leading off the second inning with a stand-up double. Second baseman Shawna Norris reached first on an error and Friars’ pitcher Sara Surosky hit third baseman Erin Gray in the back.

After catcher Katie Kaempfer popped out, Robinson took advantage of the bases-loaded situation. She hit a blooper past the third-base line, driving home Mosch and Norris to cut the lead to 4-2. Rose hit a grounder to second baseman Kalena Peterson who attempted to throw Robinson out at home. But the pitch sailed to the backstop and Robinson crossed the plate, making it 4-3.

The next inning the campaign continued. Norris ripped a two-run blast to deep centerfield for the 5-4 lead. Providence’s performance in the second inning certainly sparked the Orange offense that was prevalent in the first game.

‘They kind of got lucky,’ shortstop Alexis Switenko said of Providence. ‘They got some key hits here or there. They put the things together, but we didn’t let down. I think it was huge we stayed confident.’

Published on April 12, 2005 at 12:00 pm