Softball Drops Doubleheader AT #9/8 Florida State

Saturday, April 19

Tallahassee, FL

5 pm

Syracuse University

20-20, 10-9

Florida State

42-6, 19-3

Syracuse

Florida State

Softball Drops Doubleheader AT #9/8 Florida State

4/19/2014 10:28:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Freshman Sydney O'Hara Goes 5-for-6 On The Day

Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box | Game 1 Replay (ESPN3) | Game 2 Replay (ESPN3) | Blog Replay

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Despite a 5-for-6 performance on the day from freshman Sydney O'Hara, the Syracuse softball team dropped both of its Atlantic Coast Conference games to nationally-ranked No. 9/8 Florida State on Saturday, April 19.

The Seminoles (43-6, 20-3 ACC) won the opener 7-1 and the nightcap 5-0, behind the one-two pitching punch of seven-time ACC Pitcher of the Week Lacey Waldrop and NFCA Freshman of the Year finalist Jessica Burroughs. With the second win, FSU set an ACC record with 20 wins. The Orange (20-21, 10-10 ACC) had entered the day winners in seven of its last eight.

In the first game, Syracuse stayed close with the help of freshman Christina Clermont's strong pitching through the first four innings. She allowed only two runs on four hits up to that point, before Florida State scored five times in the fifth inning the break open the game.

O'Hara and junior Mary Dombrowski each finished the game 2-for-3, accounting for four of SU's seven hits, with O'Hara scoring the run. It was only the fourth time in 34 appearances this season and just the 11th time in 85 career appearances that Waldrop surrendered at least seven hits in a game.

Sophomore Lindsey Larkin pitched well in relief, giving up no runs and two hits after entering the game in the fifth with bases loaded and no outs.

Syracuse showed early it could hit Waldrop, registering a base knock in four of the first five frames against the righty, with batters reaching base in all five innings. However, the Orange was unable to bring any of those runners in to score.

Florida State broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead. Clermont retired the first batter she faced, but the next three batters all reached base. Alex Kossoff singled and a walk put two on for Briana Hamilton, who drove in Kossoff with a single through the left side.

Hamilton was back at it in fourth, this time hitting a two-out homer that just cleared the wall in left to make it 2-0.

In the fifth, SU put the leadoff runner on for the second inning in a row following a single by Dombrowski, but a pair of fielder's choice groundouts and a caught stealing ended the frame.

The 'Noles broke open the contest with five runs in the home half of the inning, but two great diving plays by junior Julie Wambold at second allowed Syracuse to extend the game. The first seven batters got on base, bringing in five runs. After a walk to Maddie O'Brien, Kelly Hensley belted a two-run shot to right center to extend the lead to 4-0. Victoria East singled, stole second and came around to score on Alex Powers' single to center. A single and walk brought up Hamilton, who tallied her third hit on a single up the middle, driving in two more that widened the margin to 7-0.

With the game-ending run on second, Larkin buckled down and got three of the next four batters to record outs at second. The first moved the winning run up to third, but Wambold made a pair of diving plays, ranging each way, to keep the game going.

SU pushed across a run in the seventh for the final score of 7-1 following three straight singles by O'Hara, sophomore Danielle Chitkowski and Dombrowski, with O'Hara coming in to score on Dombrowski's hit.

Waldrop took the win in the first game, improving to 28-4 on the season while Clermont (4-5) suffered the loss.

Just like the first game, Syracuse kept it close through the first four innings, entering the bottom of the fifth trailing only 2-0. But a three-run homer by Courtney Senas in the fifth gave the Seminoles more than enough breathing room.

O'Hara picked up right where she left off in the second game, going a perfect 3-for-3 to raise her batting average to .352 on the season. O'Hara, who is batting .452 in 20 ACC games, is hitting .704 (19-27) in her last seven games with six multi-hit games, including three four-hit contests. She also pitched, tossing her 11th complete game of the season, allowing five runs on six hits.

Freshman Alyssa Dewes doubled and senior Jasmine Watson had a single, finishing off her day 2-for-6.

The Orange matched each of the Seminoles' hits in the nightcap as both teams tallied six apiece, but once again failed to capitalize with runners on base.

Florida State took advantage of its chances though. In the first inning, Hensley doubled in O'Brien, who walked, with a two-out drive to right center. Hensley then came around to score on the next play when East singled to right center and set the score at 2-0.

The score remained that way until the fifth inning. O'Hara settled down after the first inning and went on to retire 10 of the next 12 batters she faced, striking out three of them.

Syracuse put runners on in the second through fifth innings, bringing up the tying run each time. However, Jessica Burroughs was able to retire the next batter the first three times to limit any damage. O'Hara led off the fifth with a single, but couldn't move up on the base paths and was stranded on first.

In the bottom of the inning the Seminoles struck for three runs to cap the scoring. Hamilton and O'Brien both walked to get things started and two batters later Senas went yard to right center.

The teams will play a final game on Sunday, April 20 at 3 p.m. that will be televised on ESPNU.