Nevermind her complete game, 10-strikeout effort against Villanova on Saturday. Alexis Switenko had record-setting weekend at the plate.

The senior hit three of the Syracuse softball team’s seven round-trippers to secure the school’s first ever dual doubleheader weekend sweep in Big East play, with road wins against Villanova and Rutgers.

The Orange flexed its offensive muscles, outscoring the Wildcats and Scarlet Knights by a combined 29-4 score over the four games.

‘This weekend was huge,’ Switenko said. ‘It was exactly what we needed.’

Today, SU (18-14, 7-1 Big East) looks to continue its winning ways against regional rival Binghamton in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. at East Gym Field in Vestal, N.Y.

During the weekend, Switenko maintained her hold on the Big East conference lead in home runs – 11 – and broke her own personal best to set a Syracuse record for most home runs in a single season. With her two wins as a pitcher this weekend, she lowered her team-leading ERA to 3.14.

Switenko was named Big East Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday.

‘I feel like I’m seeing the ball really well,’ Switenko said. ‘But I don’t feel like I’m doing anything different than normal.’

Just eight games into the conference schedule and already Switenko has five home runs against Big East play. If Switenko continues her torrid pace, she would be on track to crush the Big East record for home runs during conference play with plenty of conference games remaining. Notre Dame’s Jarrah Myers hit eight home runs in 2002, and Cori Van Dusen of Providence matched it in 2004.

‘We need her to stay hot,’ SU head coach Mary Jo Firnbach said. ‘Alexis has been overshadowed and underrated in the Big East because of the talent at the shortstop position throughout the conference.

‘She’s a first team all-conference. She deserves that respect and now she has earned that respect.’

Switenko hit three of the Orange’s seven home runs this past weekend. Fellow senior Cassie Morales, mired in a long slump, hit two to raise her season total to six and freshmen Tonye McCorkle and Heather Kim also blasted long balls.

‘You can’t have one Michael Jordan on the team who scores 50 points a night,’ Firnbach said. ‘You need parity throughout the entire lineup.’

McCorkle’s shot was a grand slam, which broke open the second game against Villanova. It was the third grand slam hit by the Orange in 2006. Her four runs batted in tied a career-high. With a .365 batting average, McCorkle is the team’s best hitter.

The 7-1 start in conference play matches the best ever for Syracuse. In 2002, the Orange also started 7-1 in the Big East.

‘I’m so excited, I’ve never been on a team like this before,’ Switenko said. ‘This team just keeps on finding new ways to win games.’

Firnbach on the other hand, is a little worried about the heavy reliance on the long ball.

The Orange, hitting one home run per game, with 32 total dingers in 32 games this season, is just seven short of tying the school record for most home runs in a season.

That is why Firnbach was happy to see her team successfully accomplish ‘small ball’ tactics.

‘We did the little things right the past couple weekends,’ Firnbach said. ‘We’re not going to win on home runs every game and the team needs to realize that. We got runners over, laid down some bunts. We need to keep doing that.’

While SU travels south to take on Binghamton (4-18) today, the team can’t help but look forward to this weekend, because the Orange will finally begin its home schedule. Its first scheduled home games were moved to its opponents’ venues because of poor weather.

Two top-notch programs, Notre Dame and Big East newcomer DePaul, will visit SU.

But first, two games against Binghamton.

‘Midweek games are tough, especially with the uncertainty of the weather and classes to attend,’ Firnbach said. ‘But it’s a good way for us to keep the bats fresh-headed into the weekend.’

Published on April 3, 2006 at 12:00 pm