Orange Head to Atlanta for ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Game 1: Syracuse vs. Purdue
Game Details	Friday, Feb. 19 \| Atlanta, Ga. \| 4 p.m. \| Mewborn Field
Live Stats	GameTracker

Game 2: Syracuse vs. Ohio State
Game Details	Saturday, Feb. 20 \| Atlanta, Ga. \| 10 a.m. \| Mewborn Field
Live Stats	GameTracker

Game 3: Syracuse vs. Purdue
Game Details	Saturday, Feb. 20 \| Atlanta, Ga. \| 12:30 p.m. \| Mewborn Field
Live Stats	GameTracker

Game 4: Syracuse vs. Ohio State
Game Details	Sunday, Feb. 21 \| Atlanta, Ga. \| 10 a.m. \| Mewborn Field
Live Stats	GameTracker

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Tournament Central Page

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse softball team continues its early season schedule this weekend at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Atlanta, Ga., facing off against Purdue and Ohio State.

The Orange match up against the Boilermakers to kick off the weekend on Friday, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. On Saturday, 'Cuse squares off against Ohio State and Purdue in back-to-back games at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The Orange finish the weekend against the Buckeyes on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m.

This past weekend at the Sportco Kick Off Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., the Orange finished the weekend 1-3, starting off with a win in the first game of the season against Long Beach State 1-0. After that, 'Cuse came up short against Lamar 3-0, No. 9 Oklahoma 7-0, and UNLV 6-1.

- Sophomore Sammy Fernandez registered a team-best four hits over the course of 12 at bats, posting a .333 batting average. The infielder also added six putouts, 10 assists, and a .941 fielding percentage.
- Junior Sydney O'Hara and sophomore Rachel Burkhardt each batted one run in off of a walk and a hit by pitch, respectively, both in bases loaded situations.
- Newcomers Alicia Hansen, Hannah Dossett, Hailey Archuleta, and Olivia Martinez registered their first collegiate hits. Hansen finished the weekend with two hits, while Archuleta stroked a hit off of her only at bat, and Dossett recorded the Orange's first double of the season.
- Hansen and senior Corinne Ozanne made their mark on the defensive side of things, accounting for more than half of the Orange's total putouts on the weekend. Ozanne registered 30 putouts, three assists, and a .971 fielding percentage, while Hansen added 12 putouts, nine assists, and a .955 fielding percentage.
- Sophomore pitcher AnnaMarie Gatti tallied her first win of the season and second of her career in the circle against Long Beach State, finishing the weekend with a 2.08 ERA.
- Sydney O'Hara captured three scoreless innings against No. 8 Oklahoma after taking the mound in the top of the fifth inning. From there on out, the junior allowed no runs and just one hit while tallying two strikeouts. She ended the weekend with a team-best six Ks and three hits over the course of seven innings pitched.

PREVIEWING PURDUE (3-2, 0-0)
Syracuse matches up with Purdue for the first time since the 2008 season, when the two programs met at the Getterman Classic and the Pirate Classic. The Boilermakers hold a 3-0 advantage in the overall series, with the last two meetings resulting in 10-0 and 6-2 wins for Purdue.

The Boilermakers posted a 3-2 start to the 2016 season, capturing wins over Southern Utah, UC Santa Barbara, and North Texas, while falling to Nebraska -Omaha and No. 13 Arizona at the Hillenbrand Invitational.

PREVIEWING OHIO STATE (3-1, 0-0)
The Orange look to continue its series winning streak against the Buckeyes after Syracuse drove home an 11-3 win in 2010 at the USF Tournament. Ohio State, however, has a 2-1 overall advantage in the series.

The Buckeyes are off to a 3-1 start to the season after defeating Pacific, UConn, and North Florida while falling to No. 3 LSU at the LSU Tournament this past weekend. For the second week in a row, Ohio State is receiving votes in the USA Softball/USA Today Top 25 poll.

UP NEXT
The Orange head down to Orlando, Fla. next weekend at the Citrus Classic. 'Cuse faces Fordham, Morgan State, UCF, UNC Charlotte, and Bryant with the Orange starting off against the Rams on Friday, Feb. 26 at 11 a.m.

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