In the bottom of the third inning of game two of Syracuse’s doubleheader with Louisville Saturday, SU was in need of a run to jumpstart its offense.

After the Syracuse bats were unable to convert on scoring opportunities in a 7-2 loss in the opener, the Orange appeared poised to score the second game’s first run. With one out, shortstop Nicole Miller tried scoring from third base on Tonye McCorkle’s grounder to second.

The umpire called Miller out on a close play at home that sent Syracuse head coach Leigh Ross running in from her third-base coaching box to argue the call.

‘The throw was up the line and the catcher had to dive to get up the line, there was no way she could’ve tagged the runner,’ Ross said. ‘That call changed the whole complexion of the game.’

Louisville (25-16, 7-1 Big East) would get out of the inning unscathed, later securing a 6-2 victory and a sweep of the Orange (15-26, 5-7).

Ross’ frustration was understandable. Bad call or not, Syracuse’s failure to score in the third was a defining moment in an afternoon marred by a lack of timely hitting and offensive mistakes. SU managed 15 hits over the two games but was able to plate only four runs.

‘I definitely think it was mostly us pressing at the plate,’ Miller said. ‘We had so many opportunities to score runners and we were obviously hitting the pitcher, and I think we just needed to get those runners in scoring position across the plate.’

Louisville didn’t make SU’s task of converting scoring chances any easier. In the first inning of the day’s opener, Cardinals second baseman Rebecca Saksefski made a difficult over-the-shoulder catch in foul territory with runners on first and second to end the Syracuse threat.

In the top of the next frame, Saksefski belted a long solo home run over the left-field fence to make the contest 2-0 and further demoralize the Orange.

It was a lead that would never be seriously threatened. The Cardinals chased Syracuse pitcher Chanel Roehner (7-7) after just 4.1 innings. The junior allowed seven earned runs and nine hits.

Yet Ross felt the difference in the game could be traced back to the early innings, when Louisville denied Syracuse’s scoring efforts.

‘That’s what good teams do,’ Ross said. ‘When they get in a pinch, someone makes a great play to get them out of it. They made some big plays on defense the first game that took us right out of the game.’

Louisville capitalized on the Orange’s failures to notch runs in the second game, as well. After throwing Miller out at home, the Cardinals added two runs in the top of the fourth to make it 2-0.

Syracuse wasted a bases-loaded, one-out opportunity in the bottom of the fourth. Second baseman Lindsay Wasek struck out and Miller fouled out to first to help Louisville out of the jam.

The Cardinals opened the door for SU in the bottom of the sixth. A throwing error by third baseman Audrey Rendon allowed right fielder Rachel Tilford to score with one out to cut the lead in half, 2-1. Wasek tied the game with a sacrifice fly to left field that plated the designated hitter, Roehner, who was 3-for-3 with three singles in the second game.

‘I give these guys credit, especially in the second game,’ Ross said. ‘They came out with a little better attitude.’

SU allowed four runs in the seventh inning, ruining an otherwise solid performance by Syracuse freshman pitcher Brittany Gardner, who kept SU in the game despite its stagnant offense.

‘I ended up walking the leadoff batter, and that always puts you in a tough situation,’ Gardner said about the seventh inning. ‘We had bases loaded a few times and we didn’t produce, and then they get the bases loaded and they do produce. It’s kind of disappointing.’

For Ross, her team’s blown opportunities made the two losses tougher to stomach.

‘It’s been a tough season. So the morale is low and it’s tough to stay up sometimes,’ Ross said. ‘You start to feel like, ‘Can a call just start to go our way?’ or ‘Can we just get a break?’ But we’ve had our opportunities, and we can’t blame the whole game on a bad call or great play by the other team.’

Published on April 14, 2007 at 12:00 pm