'Cuse Splits Day 2 at Houston

Saturday, February 24

Houston, TX

12:30 PM

Syracuse University

UTSA

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

2/24/2018 9:29:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Game 2 Box

HOUSTON, TEXAS – Sophomore Alexa Romero tied a career-high with 12 strikeouts and freshman Gabby Teran batted 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI and two runs to lead Syracuse (7-5) to an 8-0 win in six innings over UTSA Saturday morning at the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational. In the nightcap, Houston scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to walk-off with a 2-1 victory over the Orange.

Game 1: Syracuse 8, UTSA 0 (6 inn.)
Romero went the distance, pitching six innings while surrendering a hit and a walk.

Senior Sammy Fernandez went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run and junior Bryce Holmgren finished 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run. Junior Alicia Hansen was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs and freshman Lailoni Mayfield batted 1-for-3 with an RBI triple and a run.

The Orange opened up a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. Fernandez led off with a single and a double from Hansen gave the Orange runners on second and third. Teran cleared the bases with a triple to right. Holmgren drove in Teran with an RBI double, advanced to third on a flyout and sophomore Toni Martin brought Holmgren home with a sacrifice fly.

Syracuse added two runs in the fifth off two UTSA errors and two more in the sixth off RBI hits from Mayfield and Fernandez.

Romero struck out two batters in the bottom of the sixth to match her career-best strikeout total.

Game 2: Houston 2, Syracuse 1 (8 inn.)
Back-to-back RBI doubles in the bottom of the eighth powered Houston past Syracuse. Trystan Melancon picked up the win after pitching a complete game. She allowed one run (unearned) on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Senior AnnaMarie Gatti started in the circle and pitched five scoreless innings for the Orange, surrendering four hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Romero dropped to 5-2 on the year after giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

Teran finished 1-for-4 with an RBI and Hansen went 1-for-2 with a triple and a walk. Junior Hannah Dossett and Freshman Miranda Hearn each had one hit in two official at-bats.

Fernandez was placed on second to start the top of the eighth due to the international tiebreaker rule. Hansen laid down a sac bunt to move her to third and Teran hit her home with a single to center.

With runners on first and second with no outs, Arielle James doubled in the game-tying run four the Cougars. Caela Thomas came on to pinch-hit for the Cougars and doubled in the game-winning run.

Of Note
Holmgren reached base in each of the two contests to extend her streak of consecutive games on base to 34.

'Cuse turned two double plays against Houston, including an impressive play by freshman Neli Casares-Maher when she caught a lineout and threw out the runner at first base.

Syracuse left eight runners on base in the loss to the Cougars. The Orange stranded runners on first and second in the first two innings, left a runner on second in the third and couldn't bring home a runner on third in the fifth.

What's Next
The Orange wrap-up play at the Houston Hilton Invitational Sunday, Feb. 25 at 9 a.m. against Yale.

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