SB | Blisters, bruises pile up for overworked pair of pitchers
By Michael Bonner
Posted: 4/23/08, 9:53 PM EST Section: Sports
Chanel Roehner stood on the mound having retired 11 straight St. John's batters. The Syracuse senior pitcher seemed to be in a zone where nothing could distract her, until she noticed blood dripping down her right pinky.
Roehner hit the next batter to stop the streak. As the batter walked to first, Roehner walked toward the dugout, as the blood dripping from her lacerated pinky became too much of a distraction.
"The ball keeps rubbing (my finger)," Roehner said after game against St. John's. I knew it was bleeding, but I was like I don't want to stop; I'm in a rhythm, but then it was getting really bad. It was on (my ring finger) and started running down my hand."
The trainer managed to stop the bleeding, and Roehner finished the sixth inning and pitched three more scoreless innings in the 1-0 extra inning win for Syracuse.
Roehner and Brittany Gardner have been workhorses for the Orange (18-25, 9-7) this season, logging 242 of the 283 2/3 innings the entire staff has pitched this year. The two hurlers will look to shut down Canisius (26-11) today in a doubleheader at 3 p.m.
While racking up the innings, Roehner and Gardner have also racked up every bruise and blister imaginable on their fingers. The paramount concern is the blisters on their ring and middle fingers. Their pinky fingers are also a concern but for different reasons. Roehner's pinky is lacerated while Gardner's deals with the stiffness in the finger.
"You can't throw how you normally throw," Gardner said. "If you were 100 percent those pitches would be that much sharper. They fall off sometimes just because I can't put the pressure I normally would."
Roehner's blisters have been nagging her all season long, but her pinky started giving her problems a few weeks ago. Gardner suffered her wound against Louisville on April 11.
"I threw a change-up, and as soon as I did it I was like 'Ohhh,'" Gardner said. "I had the same thing last year."
Gripping the ball determines how much pain they feel. Gardner said rise balls and change-ups cause the most pain. She had to change the grip of her fastball, moving her finger to the side of the ball to reduce friction. Roehner said the seams tear into her skin the most when she throws a screwball.
Roehner hit the next batter to stop the streak. As the batter walked to first, Roehner walked toward the dugout, as the blood dripping from her lacerated pinky became too much of a distraction.
"The ball keeps rubbing (my finger)," Roehner said after game against St. John's. I knew it was bleeding, but I was like I don't want to stop; I'm in a rhythm, but then it was getting really bad. It was on (my ring finger) and started running down my hand."
The trainer managed to stop the bleeding, and Roehner finished the sixth inning and pitched three more scoreless innings in the 1-0 extra inning win for Syracuse.
Roehner and Brittany Gardner have been workhorses for the Orange (18-25, 9-7) this season, logging 242 of the 283 2/3 innings the entire staff has pitched this year. The two hurlers will look to shut down Canisius (26-11) today in a doubleheader at 3 p.m.
While racking up the innings, Roehner and Gardner have also racked up every bruise and blister imaginable on their fingers. The paramount concern is the blisters on their ring and middle fingers. Their pinky fingers are also a concern but for different reasons. Roehner's pinky is lacerated while Gardner's deals with the stiffness in the finger.
"You can't throw how you normally throw," Gardner said. "If you were 100 percent those pitches would be that much sharper. They fall off sometimes just because I can't put the pressure I normally would."
Roehner's blisters have been nagging her all season long, but her pinky started giving her problems a few weeks ago. Gardner suffered her wound against Louisville on April 11.
"I threw a change-up, and as soon as I did it I was like 'Ohhh,'" Gardner said. "I had the same thing last year."
Gripping the ball determines how much pain they feel. Gardner said rise balls and change-ups cause the most pain. She had to change the grip of her fastball, moving her finger to the side of the ball to reduce friction. Roehner said the seams tear into her skin the most when she throws a screwball.
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