The public address announcer at Syracuse Softball Stadium mispronounced SU senior Cassie Morales’ name before the start of the second game of a doubleheader against Providence Sunday, calling her ‘Casey.’

By now, Morales thought everyone knew her and fellow senior Alexis Switenko’s names. She can be sure of one thing – Big East pitchers are familiar with the duo, and they are plenty happy to see them graduate.

‘Four years, Senior Day, last game of the year, and he calls me Casey,’ Morales said in disbelief. ‘I know there are a couple of coaches who have said they’re happy to see us go. They know us well.’

After struggling through a 4-2 game one loss, Morales and Switenko celebrated their Senior Day on Sunday with a split against the Friars by winning game two, 4-1, in front of 193, the largest crowd of the season at Syracuse Softball Stadium.

The seniors will play two more home games, Wednesday against Buffalo, before the Orange (34-20, 15-7 Big East) head to South Bend, Ind., for the Big East tournament, beginning May 11. For the first time in the program’s history, SU has advanced to the Big East tournament in two consecutive seasons.

Much of the success is thanks to the two seniors. Sunday’s Big East finale against Providence was no different.

In game two of the twinbill, SU went ahead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Morales hit a sacrifice fly to right field, which scored Heather Kim from third. Kim was pushed to third after Switenko laced a double to left center.

Switenko finished 2-for-4 in game two, with a run scored. She wasted no time in the nightcap to atone for her 0-for-4 performance at the plate in the first game. She knocked in Rachael Tilford with an RBI single in the first inning of the second game to give the Orange an early 1-0 lead.

‘We couldn’t let them sweep us,’ Morales said. ‘We came back and played our ball. In the first game we played our ball, too, but we couldn’t get the big hits with two outs.’

Switenko started game two in the circle and worked in and out of jams, limiting Providence (29-16, 11-9) to six hits. Switenko pitched the complete game, allowing just one run while striking out five.

It was Switenko’s 14th win of the season, far from a minor feat considering coming into 2006, she had not pitched since her sophomore year.

‘To go out on a win was great,’ Switenko said. ‘But I never thought I’d be in the circle for it. The last four years have been great, I wouldn’t change a thing.’

In game one, the two seniors were a combined 2-for-8 at the plate – both hits were Morales singles.

Switenko, the Big East home run leader, stepped in as the potential winning run with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the seventh. The senior, who has started every game of her 200-game career, got underneath a Sara Surosky pitch and flied out to right field.

Perhaps some Senior Day jitters?

‘It could be,’ SU head coach Mary Jo Firnbach said. ‘That’s a big spot, and they don’t usually have their whole families there. It’s not like basketball when their family is always there.’

Morales followed Switenko and singled up the middle, but Tilford was thrown out at home plate by centerfielder Katie Ross to kill the SU rally and end the game.

Switenko, Firnbach’s prize recruit, will end her SU career as the school leader in career home runs, runs batted in, games played and started, walks, total bases, slugging percentage and multi-RBI games. She is a candidate for Big East Player of the Year.

Morales has the most extra-base hits and doubles in SU history. She also ranks second all-time in doubles in Big East play.

Before the first game, Switenko and Morales were honored in an on-field ceremony. Their jerseys hung in the dugout during the game.

‘It was emotional,’ Switenko said. ‘There were lots of thoughts going through our heads, but we still have a lot of games left and we’re trying to focus on that. But it got to me a little.’

Senior Day was powered by a large, raucous crowd. Morales has developed her own fan club, and it was out in full force on the warm Sunday afternoon. Signs such as ‘Cassie, will you marry me?’ and ‘Hit it to Mexico, Cassie!’ were prevalent.

‘They’re amazing,’ Morales said of the crowd. ‘They’ve been supporting us since the beginning this year. They give you good laughs in the dugout.’

With the Big East tournament looming, the seniors still want to accomplish more record-book rewriting and take the Orange to uncharted territory – last year SU won its first postseason game in history.

‘I would love to keep going,’ Switenko said. ‘I want to play until June if we can. It would be great to leave here with a Big East ring – that’s what Cassie and I really want.’

Published on April 30, 2006 at 12:00 pm