Yesterday was a hectic day for the Syracuse softball team.

Its double-header with Binghamton, slated to start today at 3 p.m., was cancelled yesterday afternoon. Officials scrambled to find a replacement game. Also, the softball team practiced outside for the first time since the season started in January. Finally, the Orange found a game to replace Binghamton. SU will travel to Lehigh today to take on the Mountain Hawks at 6 p.m.

Binghamton cancelled because of poor field conditions. SU’s weekend dates with Massachusetts and Brown were also nixed. Softball head coach Mary Jo Firnbach managed to arrange a game with Lehigh for tonight so SU wasn’t left idle for two weeks before Friday’s Big East opener against Connecticut.

‘We were hoping to get those games in, but it didn’t work out,’ Firnbach said. ‘The uncertainty of the weather is always something we have to deal with. We can’t even plan a day off because the day off might be a great day outside, and you can’t waste those days. The girls have to be flexible, and it gets aggravating for them.’

On Tuesday, the Orange managed to practice outside on its home field for the first time, which pleased Firnbach. She said the players were eager to get outside on their home turf to get used to it before the weekend.

The Orange usually practices in the Carrier Dome, but was shut out of it last week. Preparations for the NCAA Tournament Regional occupied all the space, forcing the softball practice out. The softball team found a place off of Interstate 481 to practice. Firnbach conceded that it was not the most luxurious situation, but it did allow SU to stay somewhat fresh.

‘We’re lucky to have any place to practice, being from the Northeast,’ said senior second baseman Shawna Norris. ‘We need to get used to the dirt, though. We don’t have that Dome hop anymore, and being outside allows us to visualize a game setting.’

Nothing, however, can compete with a true game situation, which is why the Orange should be grateful for Lehigh agreeing to play.

‘Every time we have a game cancelled, it really affects us,’ said senior catcher Katie Kaempfer. ‘The weather irritated me freshman year, but four years later, I’m used to it. It’s one of those things where it’s not going to change, and the other teams are going through the same thing, so we just have to deal with it.’

Published on March 29, 2005 at 12:00 pm