The wear and tear of a long season is starting to take its toll on Syracuse.

A 16-2 loss to DePaul at Skytop Softball Stadium on Sunday afternoon couldn’t have made it any more apparent.

Earlier this week, the team learned that sophomore pitcher Lindsay Taylor would miss an indefinite amount of time with an undisclosed injury. Then on Saturday, sophomore Julie Wambold left the game after being hit in the wrist by a pitch, and she is now sidelined with a contusion.

Syracuse (13-20, 1-5 Big East) dropped a pair to DePaul (23-13, 10-1) in a doubleheader on Saturday, and didn’t fare any better in the weekend finale against the Blue Demons on Sunday. Syracuse’s depleted roster was no match for the power-hitting Demons, as the Orange’s pitching blundered while the offense was kept at bay. Only freshmen Danielle Chitkowski and Lindsey Larkin gave the Orange something to be excited about moving forward.

“We need to get healthy,” senior shortstop Morgan Nandin said. “Other than that we just need to get back in the groove. We’re at a low point right now but we just need to work our way out of it.”

Taylor and Wambold were missed from the very start of Sunday’s game.

Stacy Kuwik was forced to start in all three games due to Taylor’s absence. In Saturday’s games combined, she gave up 18 earned runs in 10 innings, and DePaul didn’t waste any time before jumping on her in round three.

After plunking leadoff hitter Allie Braden, Kuwik allowed Samantha Dodd to reach on a single. Then Mary Connolly, who clobbered the ball throughout the weekend, hit a three-run home run. Before the Orange could even record an out, three runs crossed the plate.

But the damage wasn’t done. Freshman second baseman Riley Johnson, who was in for Wambold, made an error that allowed DePaul to tack on three more runs and finish the top of the first up 6-0.

“We’re just not staying focused,” head coach Leigh Ross said. “It’s about playing all aspects of the game and doing it throughout, and we’re not doing that right now.”

To find a much-needed spark, Ross turned to two freshmen off the bench. After Johnson’s error in the first inning, she was taken out for Chitkowski, who settled into left field. After Kuwik loaded the bases in the second, she was pulled for Larkin, who went the rest of the way.

For a deflated Syracuse team, Chitkowski brought a refreshing confidence to the plate in the bottom of the second inning. With the Orange trailing 10-0 and DePaul pitcher Kirsten Verdun settling into a comfortable rhythm, Chitkowski hit a monster home run that breathed life into the SU dugout.

“I hadn’t hit a home run in too long,” Chitkowski said. “Today was tough for everyone, but that definitely felt good.”

Two innings later, a double by Chitkowski plated Veronica Grant. The team scored just two runs on the day, both produced by the freshman’s bat.

Meanwhile, Larkin continued to exude toughness beyond her years. She pitched Syracuse out of numerous jams and met the challenges that pitching coach Jenna Caira placed before her.

“I kept giving her tasks before each inning, like two ground balls and one strikeout, things like that,” Caira said. “She just went out there and did everything I asked.”

Larkin was one of the last to leave the field after the game. After wrapping her arm in ice in an empty dugout, two young girls were waiting with softballs for her to autograph outside the gate.

If the final score didn’t appreciate Larkin’s effort, two wide-eyed fans surely did.

“I am so proud of this kid,” Caira said. “Every time we put her in a tough situation she just uses it to get better. She has shown leadership and courage and we need more people like her on this team.”

Published on April 8, 2013 at 1:22 am

Contact Jesse: jcdoug01@syr.edu | @dougherty_jesse