'Cuse Finishes Weekend with 3-2 Win over Bryant

Sunday, February 28

Orlando, FL

10 AM

Syracuse University

6-7

Bryant

0-5

Syracuse

Bryant

2/28/2016 9:51:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Syracuse softball team capped its Citrus Classic weekend with a 3-2 win over Bryant in eight innings at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Bryant (0-5) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second and continued to hold Syracuse (6-7) scoreless while tacking on another run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Orange struck late in the sixth inning to knot it up at two apiece.

Maddi Doane started things off in the top of the sixth with a lead-off base hit to center field, before Sammy Fernandez reached base off of an error in the next at bat. With two outs and Doane and Fernandez still on base, Sydney O'Hara sent one to center field, welcoming Doane and Fernandez to home plate.

The stalemate continued between the Orange and the Bulldogs at the end of the sixth inning and throughout the seventh, forcing an eighth inning. The international tiebreaker rule placed Doane on second base to start off the top of the eighth, as a sacrifice bunt by Fernandez started things off, advancing Doane to third.

With Doane still on third and Corinne Ozanne at the plate, the senior sent one up the middle to propel Doane home as the Orange took its first lead of the game, 3-2. Two more outs after sent the Orange to the field, but the one run proved to be all Syracuse needed, as three ground outs in a row by the 'Cuse defense sealed the extra-inning victory.

O'Hara led the Orange with two hits and two RBI on the day, while adding a stolen base to the mix. Doane, Burkhardt, and Ozanne finished off the list of 'Cuse hits in the 3-2 win, with Ozanne tallying the game-winning RBI.

Sophomore pitcher AnnaMarie Gatti earned the win in the circle, registering five strikeouts on the day.

Syracuse heads to the West Coast for the UCLA Tournament next weekend, starting off against CSU Bakersfield and CSU Northridge on Friday, Mar. 4 at noon and 3 p.m.