Heading into the Cougar Classic in Charleston, S.C., senior captain Veronica Grant wanted her team to finish the weekend with a winning record. After four games against East Tennessee State, Towson, College of Charleston and James Madison University, Syracuse did just that.

The team opened its season with two games on Friday against ETSU and Towson.

In the first game, strong performances by Stacy Kuwik on the mound and second baseman Riley Johnson at the plate led the Orange to a 4-0 victory. Kuwik threw five innings, giving up four hits and no runs, while Johnson’s two-run double broke the game open in the first.

Against Towson, sophomore Lindsay Taylor dazzled the Tigers in a complete game shutout. Taylor struck out 10, gave up three hits and walked only one batter. The Orange won the game 11-0 behind a collective effort at the plate with runs batted in from Johnson, Jasmine Watson, Corinne Ozanne and Morgan Nandin.

On Saturday, Syracuse dismantled the College of Charleston on its home field. Kuwik threw all five innings as the team was propelled to an 11-0 victory behind the long ball. Grant and Watson each hit two home runs and Julie Wambold added one of her own. The trio hit three straight in the second inning.

In its final game of the weekend, Syracuse fell to James Madison 8-0 on Sunday. After a weekend of strong pitching for the Orange, JMU’s Jailyn Ford struck out 13 Syracuse batters and yielded only one hit, a sixth-inning single by Grant.

Syracuse finished its first weekend with a 3-1 record.

Next weekend, Syracuse travels to Palm Springs, Calif., to play in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. There, SU will meet tough opponents in Florida, Stanford, Long Beach State and San Diego State.

Track & Field

Syracuse traveled to Geneva, Ohio, to compete in the 2013 Indoor Big East Championships this weekend. With modest expectations going into the event, Syracuse’s men and women’s teams both finished near the middle of the pack in their respective competitions.

The men’s team – which finished tied for sixth overall with Pittsburgh at 60 points – trailed Connecticut, Louisville, Notre Dame, South Florida and Villanova. Connecticut won the men’s title with 142 points overall, 36.5 more points than second place Notre Dame (105.5). St. John’s and Cincinnati did not have men’s teams in the event. Twelve teams competed on the men’s side.

Overall, six Orange athletes medaled at the event. In the 60-meter hurdles, Syracuse picked up right where they left off in the event. After former SU hurdler Jarret Eaton won the event last year, sophomore Donald Pollitt placed first with a time of 7.79. Senior Amadou Gueye took second with a time of 7.81.

In the 60-meter dash, junior Jaquan Holland won silver (6.89) while sophomore Martin Hehir also took silver in the 3,000-meter run (8:04.33).

With 30 points, the SU women finished ninth overall out of 14 teams. Notre Dame took first place with 141 points. Bright spots for the Orange were freshman Shania Harrison and senior Lauren Penney. Harrison won silver in the 60-meter dash (7.51) while Penney won bronze in the 3,000-meter (9:24.46).

The Orange will compete next on March 1 at the Columbia Last Chance in New York City.

— Compiled by The Daily Orange sports staff, sports@dailyorange.com

Published on February 18, 2013 at 1:38 am