Syracuse broke away from its power dependency this weekend against Villanova. For a team struggling to put enough runs across the plate, that change was much needed.

It was exemplified in the first inning in Sunday’s series finale. SU had a chance to strike early against Villanova with two on and no outs. And catcher Lacey Kohl came up with a clutch double to put the Orange on the board. A grounder to the right side of the infield by Rachel Helman scored the game’s third run.

‘We jumped on good pitches instead of letting them go by,’ Kohl said. ‘We also didn’t go after any junk.’

In a five-game stretch this past week against conference bottom-feeders Providence and Villanova, the Orange made that first statement on each occasion. SU’s lineup carried momentum from Thursday’s doubleheader win against the Friars and created early damage in two out of three games against the Wildcats this past weekend.

In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Orange jumped to a 9-0 lead after three innings before cruising to a 10-1 victory. On Sunday, paced by three consecutive hits to start the game, the Orange jumped to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first before riding the dominance of relaxed pitcher Jenna Caira to a 6-0 win.

SU got on the board first in each of its three victories over the weekend. The Orange also scored in the first inning in two of the three games.

‘If we’re able to build that momentum through the early stages of the game, it helps us carry it through the rest of the game,’ Caira said. ‘One of our goals is always to get 10 hits a game.’

The early outbursts were marked by a string of hits, walks and sacrifices that allowed the SU lineup to drive runs across in a variety of different ways. They were also a stark contrast to the power-dependent offense that marked the five-game losing streak prior to the current winning streak.

In the Orange’s three-game set with South Florida, the Bulls jumped to at least a two-run lead in the first inning of each game. SU found itself behind by four runs after the third inning of its first game against Notre Dame in a doubleheader sweep.

The early deficits built a natural mindset among the Orange players that they needed a quick strike to get back into the game.

‘It’s important to get ahead in the beginning because once you get the momentum going your way, it’s hard to stop it,’ SU catcher Lacey Kohl said. ‘It’s easier to stay down than it is to stay up.’

In the early stages of the South Florida and Notre Dame games, the SU offense was often too patient in an effort to work the opposing pitchers. After the Orange fell behind, its hitters began chasing bad pitches as they frantically tried for a quick fix to make up for lost time.

Of the mere 10 runs SU scored in those five games, seven were via the long ball. Against Providence and Villanova, the offense regained the happy medium that had allowed it to be so successful all season long.

Those runs came aplenty in the early innings of both Saturday’s and Sunday’s games. It gave Caira, SU’s ace, a chance to relax a little bit, knowing she had a comfortable lead behind her the whole way.

‘It’s a comfort thing for the pitcher and defense. It helps us relax a little bit,’ Caira said. ‘But you also want to make that first statement that you’re here and ready to play.’

The Orange’s quick-strike capability has meant SU couldn’t be counted out of any games this year. But as outfielder Veronica Grant insists, it’s the lineup’s other strengths that complement the power game in the first place.

‘We have so many players who can do so many different things,’ Grant said. ‘A three-run homer is much more valuable when it’s the icing on top of a six-run rally.’

jdsaffre@syr.edu

 

Published on April 17, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Jarrad: jdsaffre@syr.edu