Softball Edged In Two

Friday, March 13

Clearwater, FL

1:45 PM EST

Syracuse University

9-13

Maine

10-11

Syracuse

Maine

3/13/2015 10:03:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Syracuse drops two games decided late in the innings

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Syracuse's (9-14) pitching was effective throughout the day but the offense was silenced in a 4-0 loss to Maine (10-11) and a 2-0 defeat against Toledo (9-12). Jocelyn Cater nearly threw a no-hitter against Toledo.

The Highlights Against Maine

Lindsey Larkin threw three innings of scoreless relief, lowering her earned run average to 3.18.
Corinne Ozanne singled in the first to boost her batting average to .310 this season.
Cater recorded a hit for the third time in the last six games.
Annie Toczynski picked up her fourth hit in three games.

Maine Pitching Blanks The Orange
Sydney O'Hara rolled through the first two innings until the Black Bears took advantage of a one-out walk, following it up with a triple and a single to take a 2-0 lead. Maine struck again in the bottom of the fourth, leading off with a single and following up with a home run to command a 4-0 lead.

Larkin took the circle immediately after the home run and struck out one and forced seven weak ground ball outs to blank the Black Bears in the final three innings. However, despite keeping Syracuse in the contest the offense had no answer for Maine's pitching, ultimately leading to the 4-0 loss.

The Highlights Against Toledo

Cater took a no-hitter into the sixth and overall threw six innings of work, allowing just two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out seven.
In the seventh inning, Sammy Fernandez roped a two-out single into left to keep the Orange alive and boost her batting average to .312. She also recorded a stolen base in the game.
Maddi Doane singled to record her third hit in six games.
Danielle Chitkowski kicked off the third inning with a single

'Cuse Falls Despite Cater's No-Hit Bid
Cater kept the Rockets on their toes, dominating them for the first five innings of the game. However, Syracuse's offense struggled to get anything going until the fifth when Mary Dombrowski led off with a walk. On an attempt to sacrifice her over to second, Toledo made a momentum-swinging double-play to halt the Orange for the moment. Doane walked with two outs and Ozanne ripped a line drive to the warning track but a diving catch by the left fielder ended the inning and kept Syracuse off the board.
'Cuse then had another chance in the sixth when it had the leadoff runner on after Julie Wambold was hit by a pitch. Riley Johnson came in to hit for Cater and laid down a bunt to sacrifice herself and advance Wambold to second. With two outs Syracuse pinch hit one of its hottest hitters to come through in the RBI situation but the Rockets were able to escape the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Rockets caught a break when a fister off the handle of the bat had spin to carry it out of fair territory but the ball caught a lip on the third base line to keep it fair and break up the no-hitter. The next batter reached on a bunt single and with one down, Toledo singled through the right side and the throw home was just late on a bang-bang play. A fielder's choice to second base brought in the run from third and 'Cuse held the outburst to just two runs.

Forced to put up a crooked number, Fernandez singled with two outs but that's all the Orange could muster as Toledo blanked the offense for a 2-0 victory.