With the lyrics “Rock me, mama” blasting through the speakers, Syracuse launched into a pregame dance party in front of the home dugout.

The Syracuse (16-22, 4-7 Big East) players who walked out and managed to command the defense in two close games against Villanova (15-22, 2-11) in Wednesday’s doubleheader didn’t look like the same team that appeared trapped in their heads against DePaul on the same field almost two weeks ago.

The pregame pep carried into the first game of the doubleheader as Syracuse re-established itself early with a first-inning Jasmine Watson home run. Watson paced her jog after the ball cleared well past the stadium fence, crossing home plate to cheers of approval emanating from the dugout and the stands.

Syracuse wouldn’t score the rest of the game, but it didn’t have to. Backed by a strong defensive effort, the Orange held Villanova scoreless. SU’s success was repeated in the second game, edging the conference opponents 3-2. With Wednesday’s wins, Syracuse heads into the weekend series against Seton Hall riding a three-game winning streak.

On Wednesday, Syracuse wasn’t the team Watson said got caught up with fielding errors and struggled to close out games after a series of losses in preconference play.

“We’ve worked so hard in the fall and coming in the season we worked so hard … and it’s not really coming together as a team. We’re just making little errors, so that’s really frustrating,” Watson said in early March after dropping four games at the Citrus Classic-ESPN Rise.

Instead, they appeared sharper, capitalized on hustle plays and overcame a one-run deficit in the second game. Even the weather, which was marred by high winds in Syracuse’s two losses to DePaul on April 6 when SU gave up a combined 26 runs, was different. On Wednesday, the air was still and the sun was blinding to the point of causing a Villanova center fielder to misjudge two fly balls.

For Syracuse, it came together Wednesday and Watson expressed another sentiment.

“Spirit was definitely high today,” she said after the game. “We always are up but today felt good.”

The uplifted spirits were apparent in the pitching, too. With sophomore pitcher Lindsay Taylor, who pitched the bulk of minutes in preconference play, sidelined with an injury, senior Stacy Kuwik has clocked additional minutes at the mound with freshmen Lindsey Larkin and Danielle Chitkowski playing relief. But on Wednesday, Kuwik was on her own, pitching 14 consecutive innings in the doubleheader.

Following the losses against DePaul, pitching coach Jenna Caira said the team couldn’t be complacent with throwing pitches and “hoping it hits the corner.” Midway through Wednesday’s first game, a pitch smacked against the metal backdrop, Kuwik paused to stomp her cleats into the dirt and made pitching movements into her glove before resuming the count. If she ever felt pressured, she didn’t let on. Kuwik, just like her teammates, left behind the mental lapses.

“She told me sometimes she would be in her head, a little nervous, but I told her I didn’t feel any of that anxiety from her,” Caira said.

Published on April 18, 2013 at 12:28 am

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