As Hallie Gibbs stepped to the plate for her second at-bat, a group of Syracuse fans began saying ‘Uh oh.’ After Gibbs hit a two-run home run that landed on a hill beyond the right-center field wall in the first inning, the fans were anticipating more trouble for the Niagara pitcher.

That anticipation soon turned to reality. Gibbs hit a three-run shot to right center, this time over a shed behind the wall.

‘I don’t know what the heck Hallie ate for breakfast, but she sure hit the ball really hard today,’ SU pitcher Jenna Caira said.

Gibbs added a third home run in the second game and finished with six RBI Wednesday against Niagara. Her big day at the plate led an offensive effort that powered the Orange to an 8-0 win in the opener — setting the program record for wins in a season with 37 — and a 6-3 win in game two. SU hit a total of five home runs on the day, accounting for nine of its 14 runs in the doubleheader.

Lisaira Daniels got things started in the bottom of the first with a towering solo shot down the right-field line. The ball landed near a tree at the top of a hill behind the wall.

For Daniels, her fifth home run of the season came as a surprise. Daniels said she used a simple swing to send the ball out of the park. She started to jog immediately, knowing it had the distance, but said she wasn’t sure it would stay fair.

‘To be honest with you, I was like praying, ‘Please don’t go foul,” Daniels said.

SU head coach Leigh Ross called it ‘the furthest home run I’ve seen go to right field.’ Ross said the game is more exciting when her team is hitting home runs.

Daniels said the home runs ensured that the team didn’t leave too many runners on base. She said the team just wants to put the ball in play and get on base. But the home runs were the big hits that brought in the runs.

‘We’re just seeing the ball really, really well,’ Daniels said. ‘And what we talk about, our goal is to have line drives … and if we can get under it a little bit and take it out, then, hey, that’s a plus for all of us.’

The home runs gave Caira an advantage in the circle. With a seven-run lead through three innings, Caira said she felt comfortable and relaxed throughout the game. It showed, as she only gave up one hit in five innings.

Caira only had to pitch those five innings because the lineup scored eight runs to enact the mercy rule.

With seven runs on the board, Gibbs came to the plate for her third at-bat in the bottom of the fifth inning. After hitting two home runs, Niagara threw four straight balls to pitch around the power hitter. The virtual intentional walk gave SU a base runner to start the inning.

The Orange took advantage of the opportunity. After Jasmine Watson singled, Caira doubled to right-center field to score pinch runner Chelsea Lorenz — and end the game.

Gibbs wasn’t done after the first game, either. Her solo home run to the same hill in right-center in the third inning put SU ahead 4-2. It proved to be the difference as Niagara scored its final run the next inning on a sacrifice fly.

Still, the Purple Eagles were lurking during the final three innings. As SU proved all day, one run can come on one swing. And Ross was nervous as the Orange held onto a one-run lead.

‘I didn’t like the 4-3 game going on and it was just too close with a team like that,’ Ross said.

Ashley Dimon calmed those nerves with a two-run home run to dead-center field in the fifth inning. The homer gave SU a cushion going into the final two innings, and the Orange finished with the win.

For Gibbs, her third career multi-home run game is a new program record. Her 14 home runs this season are one shy of the program record. Daniels said it seems like every at-bat ends the same for her teammate.

‘I can’t even tell you the last time I’ve seen Hallie hit just a regular base hit,’ Daniels said. ‘That’s how many home runs she’s been hitting throughout these past couple weeks.’

rjgery@syr.edu

Published on May 4, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu