Ozanne, Watson fuel hot streak for Syracuse offense

Corinne Ozanne puts her cleats on at the same time before every game. She takes the same number of groundballs in the infield. Hits her cleats the same number of times. And puts on her batting gloves and helmet in the same order.

Even as the Orange started the season 6-13, Ozanne didn’t change her pregame ritual. Likewise, the Orange offense didn’t change its approach of being patient to get on base, and that has finally paid dividends.

Syracuse (12-15, 5-4 Atlantic Coast) has scored 60 runs in its last nine games — in which it has won seven — and is riding high entering its home-opening series against No. 24 Notre Dame (20-7, 3-3) this weekend. After a slow start, the team continued to work for quality at bats and that is starting to pay off.

“We work hard at practice, and we work hard outside of practice, trying to make everything happen,” Ozanne said. “Hitting is just very streaky. It’s really hard to be very consistent, so it’s about time.”

Ozanne and senior first baseman Jasmine Watson have led the offensive explosion.

Ozanne is currently on an 11-game hitting streak and is 19-for-30 with seven RBIs and seven runs scored in the past nine games.

Watson has knocked in eight RBIs in the last six games, including four homers in as many contests. She is also currently tied for the school record with 38 career homeruns.

Both Ozanne and Watson have hit their stride and the rest of the team has followed suit. SU head coach Leigh Ross attributes the surge to good timing, as things are clicking for multiple hitters at once.

“Everyone’s just starting to kind of pull it together and that’s just how seasons go,” Ross said. “Everyone’s either hot or cold and then you just kind of ride that out. When they all can be hot at the same time, it feels really good.”

The success has led to a more comfortable and confident feel among the team. Ross said that although the team maintained a positive attitude through its struggles, winning always makes everyone feel better.

If Syracuse hopes to keep winning against Notre Dame, it will likely need this strong offensive production to continue.

SU’s pitching is thin behind freshman ace Sydney O’Hara and the entire staff has a combined 5.02 earned run average. The Orange’s three main starting pitchers consist of two freshmen and a sophomore, and significant run support will be important moving forward.

“It just gives them some cushion and it has them relax on the mound,” Watson said.

Ross said that the offense’s mentality should be to score four or five runs in order to win, but that may be a tough task against Notre Dame. The Irish allows 2.04 runs per game and will likely run 2013 Big East Player of the Year Laura Winter out to the mound against the Orange.

Winter made four appearances — three times as a starter — against Syracuse as Big East counterparts in 2011 and 2012. In her career against SU, Winter has pitched 25 innings, allowing eight runs on 26 hits and recording 23 strikeouts.

As a freshman and sophomore, Watson faced Winter. She batted 2-for-10 with three strikeouts in games that Winter started. And even though she’s had difficulty in the past, her approach will stay the same.

“I guess the same way as I have been this year,” Watson said. “Just knowing what she pitches and knowing ahead of time what she would throw me depending on what spot I’m in.”

With a current logjam in the middle of the ACC standings, SU has a chance to emerge and separate itself from the middle of the conference.

To do this, the offense will have to continue hitting well.

Said Ozanne: “You’ve got to score to win.”