SB | Orange losing streak reaches new school-record 8 games
By Didier Morais
Posted: 2/25/08, 10:03 PM EST Section: Sports
The Syracuse softball team broke a school record this past weekend. It was an accomplishment the Orange would love to forget.
After starting the season 0-4 at the Getterman Classic last weekend, SU followed the poor performance with four more dreadful losses this past weekend at the Pirate Classic in Greenville, N.C.
The eight consecutive defeats mark the longest losing streak in the Orange's eight-year softball history. It eclipsed the previous streak of six, which was set in 2001 and matched in 2005. Syracuse played only four of its six scheduled games last weekend due to rain Friday.
In the four losses, SU allowed 25 runs, 19 walks, and committed 10 errors. Those 10 errors proved decisive, as they led to 14 unearned runs.
"There are no excuses for errors on routine plays," Syracuse head coach Leigh Ross said. "It's frustrating because they have been taught the fundamentals, but they have not been executing them."
The eight-game streak of futility was capped Sunday when Penn State freshman pitcher Jackie Hill threw a five-inning no-hitter. The Nittany Lions won, 8-0.
The Orange has had it rough throughout the past two tournaments, losing games in several different ways.
"There is no one reason for our season struggles," Ross said. "It's a combination of different things. One game it's poor defense, the next game it's poor pitching and another game it could be bad offense."
Rain prevented the Orange from playing on Friday, but ultimately the extra rest proved ineffective.
The following morning, the Orange opened up the first game against Appalachian State. SU held the Mountaineers scoreless throughout the first two innings, but ultimately collapsed in the third. In the inning, Syracuse committed three crucial errors, which led to three unearned runs and a grand total of six runs.
The Mountaineers tacked on one more run in the fourth. After a 30-minute rain delay, the Orange rallied in the sixth and seventh, but could not recover as it lost, 7-2. In the end, the Orange tied its season high with five errors.
After starting the season 0-4 at the Getterman Classic last weekend, SU followed the poor performance with four more dreadful losses this past weekend at the Pirate Classic in Greenville, N.C.
The eight consecutive defeats mark the longest losing streak in the Orange's eight-year softball history. It eclipsed the previous streak of six, which was set in 2001 and matched in 2005. Syracuse played only four of its six scheduled games last weekend due to rain Friday.
In the four losses, SU allowed 25 runs, 19 walks, and committed 10 errors. Those 10 errors proved decisive, as they led to 14 unearned runs.
"There are no excuses for errors on routine plays," Syracuse head coach Leigh Ross said. "It's frustrating because they have been taught the fundamentals, but they have not been executing them."
The eight-game streak of futility was capped Sunday when Penn State freshman pitcher Jackie Hill threw a five-inning no-hitter. The Nittany Lions won, 8-0.
The Orange has had it rough throughout the past two tournaments, losing games in several different ways.
"There is no one reason for our season struggles," Ross said. "It's a combination of different things. One game it's poor defense, the next game it's poor pitching and another game it could be bad offense."
Rain prevented the Orange from playing on Friday, but ultimately the extra rest proved ineffective.
The following morning, the Orange opened up the first game against Appalachian State. SU held the Mountaineers scoreless throughout the first two innings, but ultimately collapsed in the third. In the inning, Syracuse committed three crucial errors, which led to three unearned runs and a grand total of six runs.
The Mountaineers tacked on one more run in the fourth. After a 30-minute rain delay, the Orange rallied in the sixth and seventh, but could not recover as it lost, 7-2. In the end, the Orange tied its season high with five errors.
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