Seventh Inning Rally Not Enough As Softball Falls To #18/13 Oklahoma

Saturday, February 22

Cathedral City, Calif.

12:30 pm EST

Syracuse University

4-4

Oklahoma

10-5

Syracuse

Oklahoma

Seventh Inning Rally Not Enough As Softball Falls To #18/13 Oklahoma

2/22/2014 3:27:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Box Score | Blog Replay

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Sophomore Riley Johnson's first career home run was not enough as the Syracuse softball team dropped a 6-2 decision against reigning national champions No. 18/13 Oklahoma on Saturday, Feb. 22.

"I felt like that game we actually played well, but things just didn't go our way, and sometimes that happens," said head coach Leigh Ross. "We hit the ball fine, but we just didn't find the holes. Their (Oklahoma) hits found the holes."

Johnson finished the game going 2-for-3 with the homer and drove in both runs. Senior Shirley Daniels and freshman Ellie Forkin both added hits, with Daniels' going for a double. Junior Lindsay Taylor suffered the loss, yielding six runs on eight hits while striking out five in a complete game effort.

Oklahoma got things started early with three runs in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Whitney Ellis singled to load the bases, then Destinee Martinez hit a bloop double that landed on the left field line and drove in two runs. Later in the inning Ellis came across to score on a wild pitch.

After that, the teams played evenly for the next four innings. Syracuse tallied a run on three hits while the Sooners had four hits and one run.

In the bottom of the third the Sooners made it 4-0 on Martinez's RBI groundout. Oklahoma had runners on second and third with no outs, but Taylor retired the next three batters to end the inning.

Syracuse looked to get something going in the top of the fourth with freshman Sydney O'Hara and junior Julie Wambold drawing walks to begin the frame. A groundout by senior Jasmine Watson moved both runners into scoring position with two outs, but Kelsey Stevens got freshman Nicole Lundstrom to groundout and stop the threat. It was the first game this season in which Lundstrom failed to reach base safely.

The Orange finally broke through the next inning as Johnson smashed her first career home run to cut into the Sooner lead and make it 4-1. Senior Shirley Daniels followed with a double to the right center gap, but was stranded in scoring position.

Two more runs in the sixth added to the Oklahoma advantage and pushed the score to 6-1. The Sooners loaded the bases once again with two outs and Shelby Pendley drove in a pair with her single to center field.

SU's rally came up short in the final inning with the tying run left on deck. Following a walk, an intentional pitch and wild pitch, Johnson hit a base knock through the right side to make it a 6-2 game. A one-out walk to Daniels gave the Orange runners on first and second, but relief pitcher Georgia Casey snared O'Hara's comeback and doubled off Daniels at first to end the game.

"Overall that game – I'm okay with it. They're growing as a team. They're gaining experience, gaining confidence from it and I think it's going to help us in the long run. We feel like we got a little better with it. It was a good quality game."

The Orange close out the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Sunday, Feb. 23 with games against No. 13/11 Stanford and Long Beach State at 2:30 p.m. (EST) and 5 p.m. (EST).