Allentown, PA – Syracuse put five runs on the board in the top half of the second inning and Lehigh was unable to respond as the Orange downed the Mountain Hawks by a 6-1 score in the first-ever meeting between the two teams at Patriots Park on Wednesday evening.
The victory improves Syracuse’s record to 11-9 on the season, while the loss snaps Lehigh’s winning streak at 13 games, dropping the Mountain Hawks to 18-4 overall in 2005.
“They (Syracuse) are one of the top teams in the northeast,” said head coach Fran Troyan. “Except for that second inning when a few things didn’t go our way we competed pretty well with them.”
In the second, the Orange sent nine batters to the plate, touching Lehigh starter Emily Ling for five runs on four hits. The senior issued an uncharacteristic two walks in the frame. In all, Ling worked five innings, striking out five Syracuse hitters.
Lehigh got one run back in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to 5-1. After shortstop Mendy Martin led off the frame with a single, second baseman Jess Young singled home pinch runner Katherine Wegert to get the designated home team on the board.
In all, however, Syracuse used a dominant effort from its two hurlers in shutting down the Lehigh offense. Starter Courtney Mosch, from nearby Nazareth, Pa., allowed just three hits and one run over four innings to run her record to 6-5 on the season. Freshman Erin Downey did not allow a hit while striking out six over three innings to earn the save.
The Lehigh offense was held to just three hits on the night – all coming in the third inning.
The Mountain Hawks return to action on Saturday, as Lehigh resumes Patriot League play against rival Lafayette. First pitch of game one of the doubleheader is set for Noon from Lehigh’s Kaufman Field. The game will mark Lehigh’s 2005 home opener.
