Corinne Ozanne breaks Syracuse softball’s all-time career home-run record in 22-1 win over Canisius
Corinne Ozanne’s smile spread wide across her face as she rounded third base. She high-fived head coach Mike Bosch while Syracuse players circled around home plate. They put their hands in the air, forming an “O” shape in Ozanne’s honor. When she reached the plate, they mobbed her.
Moments earlier, the senior had just stroked a grand slam to left field — her 47th career home run — breaking the Syracuse (21-17, 6-8 Atlantic Coast) all-time record in a 22-1 blowout win over Canisius (9-24, 0-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic) in game 2 of a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at SU Softball Stadium. In game 1, she also hit a pair of home runs, helping SU to a 4-0 win.
“Oh my god,” Ozanne said after making contact on the record-breaking home run.
“I just couldn’t believe it was happening,” she said afterward. “To break the record on a grand slam, it was pretty insane to me.”
Ozanne had already belted three home runs on the day to tie Jasmine Watson’s record, which Watson set in 2014. After Ozanne tied the record, 46, a teammate yelled from the dugout, “I’m so proud of you!”
But Ozanne wasn’t done.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning, Ozanne got a 3-0 fastball over the heart of the plate and connected. Her line drive was far from a no-doubter, but that didn’t matter.
“As soon as I hit it, I knew it,” she said afterward. “That’s why I was like, ‘Holy cow, this actually just happened.’”
Eddie Natal | Staff Photographer
Entering Wednesday, Ozanne was struggling. She was four for her last 25. Her batting average was .245, far lower than her career average, .312.
Before the game, Ozanne reached out to family and friends. Her dad sent her a text that helped get her mind right before first pitch.
“He was like, ‘Hey, just relax, you gotta trust your instincts. You know how to do it.’’’ Ozanne said. “And things just happened.”
The record, Ozanne admitted, had been looming in her head since the start of the season. Three years ago, Ozanne said she never would have thought she’d be a huge home run hitter. She hit home runs in high school, but had never expected to break the all-time record at SU. This year, as the record neared, she had trouble getting it out of her mind.
“A lot of people have been talking about that this year,” Ozanne said. “Just because I was close to it, I think I let that get to my head a little too much and that’s why I’ve been struggling.”
On Wednesday, Ozanne focused on timing at the plate. When her load and swing are on time and in-sync, her muscle memory kicks in and her swing follows, she said.
Usually, Ozanne won’t swing at a 3-0 pitch, even if it’s right down the middle. In this situation, however, Ozanne knew she’d get something good to hit since the bases were loaded. There was nowhere to put the slugger. She figured it’d be the best pitch she’d get.
Bosch said he gave her the green light, as he usually does, because she’s experienced and has a good eye. In her last 36 at bats, Ozanne has walked 11 times.
“She’s intelligent and she’s a good hitter,” assistant coach Kristyn Sandberg said. “She’s going to make sure that if she’s going to take a good swing on a 3-0 pitch, she’s going to get all of it.”