Syracuse’s victory over Harvard on Saturday was a historic one.

In the first women’s intercollegiate sporting event ever played at Gillette Stadium, the Orange defeated the Crimson, 10-6. SU improved to 5-2 in nonconference games this season with the win at the home of the NFL’s New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass.

SU (6-2, 1-0 Big East) held its opponent to single-digit goals for the fourth straight game, limiting the Crimson (4-5, 1-2 Ivy League) to just two goals in the first half.

Syracuse and Harvard each scored once in the first 10 minutes, but the Orange reeled off five straight goals in the next 20 minutes, including two from attack Katie Webster.

But with just 18 seconds remaining in the first half, Harvard forward Chelsey Newman ended a 20:41 scoreless drought for the Crimson to leave SU with a 6-2 lead heading into the locker room.

In the second half, Kelsey Richardson replaced Alyssa Costantino in goal for Syracuse. Harvard midfielder Melanie Baskind immediately took advantage.

Baskind opened the second half with a goal less than four minutes into the frame.

After SU attack Alyssa Murray scored her second goal of the game, Baskind came back and scored a pair of goals just 29 seconds apart to cut the deficit to 7-5.

But the Orange defense tightened up. Syracuse allowed just one goal in the final 22 minutes, and Murray scored two more of her game-high four goals as the Orange held on for the victory. Murray scored four goals for the third time this season, pushing her season total to a team-high 25 goals.

SU returns to Big East play and the Carrier Dome on Saturday against No. 6 Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are the highest ranked team left on the schedule for Syracuse, but have dropped two straight to the Orange. Last season, SU knocked off Notre Dame 11-8 in the Carrier Dome.

Softball

Syracuse used its offensive firepower to take two of three in its series against St. John’s this weekend.

In the No. 25 Orange’s first Big East matchup of the season, Syracuse (21-9, 2-1) topped the Red Storm (13-21, 2-3) twice in its three-game set in Queens. While the pitching was shaky for SU, the Orange bats picked up the slack, hitting 11 combined home runs in its two victories.

The Syracuse offense got right to work Saturday in the series opener, in which SU came away with an 11-7 win. The Orange scored six runs in the first inning alone, which included a grand slam by sophomore Jasmine Watson. It was one of five Orange home runs in the game.

In game two of the doubleheader, Syracuse fell 6-1. Freshman pitcher Lindsay Taylor struggled in her four innings of work, allowing five runs. The Orange scored its lone run on back-to-back doubles from infielders Kelly Saco and Morgan Nandin in the fifth inning.

Syracuse finished strong Sunday with another big offensive day to win 12-6. The Orange smacked six round-trippers in the contest. The Orange trailed 6-5 until senior second baseman Stephanie Watts hit her second homer of the game to put SU up 7-6. From there, the Orange added insurance runs and relief pitcher Stacy Kuwik kept the Red Storm bats in check to get the win.

Syracuse returns to action when it hosts Seton Hall next weekend in a three-game series at Skytop Softball Stadium.

Women’s rowing

Syracuse earned three second-place finishes in the Kittell Cayuga Combo last weekend. SU hosted Boston University, Cornell and Rutgers at the James A. Ten Eyck Boathouse in its second regatta of the season.

No. 16 Cornell finished first in all of the event’s four races, with the Orange finishing second in three.

Syracuse, led by coxswain Allison Todd, finished its opening heat in 6:47.4, just more than two seconds behind BU. The Terriers’ time of 6:45.8 was the best overall time of the competition. SU finished at 6:56.4 in the consolation match against Rutgers, which finished in 7:10.2. Cornell defeated BU in the final.

The Orange’s second and third varsity eight and the varsity four all bested Boston in their opening heats. Syracuse’s varsity eight then faced Cornell in the final, losing by more than nine seconds.

The third varsity eight defeated BU with a time of 7:23, but lost to Cornell in the final again.

The Orange’s varsity four defeated BU before dropping the final heat against Cornell, 7:48.4 to 8:06.4.

Syracuse hosts Northeastern and Pennsylvania on Saturday at the James A. Ten Eyck Boathouse.

-Compiled by The Daily Orange Sports staff 

Published on April 1, 2012 at 12:00 pm