The Canisius College softball team closed out the home portion of the 2010 regular-season schedule Tuesday afternoon by slitting a non-league doubleheader with Syracuse at the Demske Sports Complex. The visiting Orange (29-22) took the first game by a score of 4-3 before the Golden Griffins (31-16) won the nightcap 3-2. Canisius ended the home slate with an 11-1 record and has now won 19 of its last 23 games, dating back to the April 3. 

In the game one loss, Canisius junior Paige Freiberger hit her 11th home run of the season to set the school's single-season home run mark, previously held by Jess Martin, who had 10 homers in 2005. Freshman Katie Medina went a combined 4-for-6 with two runs scored in the twinbill, while Freiberger and junior Lauren Hope each collected two hits on the day. Frieberger had four RBIs in the two non-conference games and Hope added a run scored and a stolen base to the Griffs' effort.

Canisius scored three runs in the home half of the first inning in the nightcap, taking advantage of two early Syracuse errors. Hope got the frame started with an infield single and she moved to second when Medina beat out a bunt for a base hit. Senior Michelle Fridey got to first on a sacrifice bunt and then advanced to second on a Syracuse error, which allowed Hope to score from second to put the Griffs on the board first. Freiberger made it 2-0 in favor of the Blue and Gold when she singled to left to knock in Medina and then Fridey made it 3-0 when she scored on a throwing error by Syracuse's catcher.

Canisius would retain the 3-0 margin until the top of the seventh, but Syracuse scored twice on an RBI-single off the bat of Lisaira Daniels with two down in the frame to make the score 3-2. Canisius freshman Amanda Baun buckled down from there with runners at first and second with two outs, and got out of a jam by inducing the game-ending pop-up to short. Baun earned the complete-game victory in the circle after she allowed two runs, both unearned, on five hits to go with eight strikeouts and four walks. Syracuse's Stacy Kuwik took the loss after she gave up three runs, one of which was earned, on five hits while walking one and striking out seven.

In the first game, Syracuse took a 4-0 lead after three-and-a-half innings of play. In the top of the second, the Orange scored twice off losing pitcher Caroline Main, as Veronica Grant drove in a run with a base hit to right and Rachel Helman pushed a run across with a sacrifice fly to left. Leading 3-0, Syracuse added a run to its cushion in the fourth as Grant doubled to left to drive in teammate Morgan Nandin.

Syracuse's starter Jenna Caira was cruising through the early part of the game as she fanned the first 10 Canisius batters she faced, but Medina ended her dominance with a bunt single with one down in the fourth. Fridey moved Medina to second when she drew a walk, and that set up Freiberger's three-run homer over the fence in left center. Canisius threatened in the sixth with two runners on and no one out, and then again in the seventh when Emily Helbig led off the frame with a base hit through the right side, but the Blue and Gold could not force a run across the dish, as their 10-game home winning streak come to an end.

Main slipped to 14-6 on the year after she allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out five in seven innings of work. Caira improved her record to 17-10 as she allowed three runs on five hits while striking out 13 and walking just two.

Canisius will close out the 2010 regular season Saturday when the team plays at Marist in a MAAC doubleheader. Game time in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., is set for 12 p.m.