'Cuse Outlasts Charleston Southern in Nine Innings, 3-1

Wednesday, March 16

Charleston, SC

3 PM

Syracuse University

12-11

Charleston Southern

12-14

Syracuse

Charleston So.

'Cuse Outlasts Charleston Southern in Nine Innings, 3-1

3/16/2016 7:24:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Syracuse softball team came out on top 3-1 over Charleston Southern in a nine-inning pitcher's duel on Wednesday afternoon at the CSU Softball Field. The win improves the Orange to one win above. 500 with a 12-11 overall mark.

The Orange found success in the top half of the ninth inning with the game tied at one apiece, as a Sammy Fernandez base hit to first and a sacrifice bunt by Maddi Doane in the next at bat set Fernandez up at second. With one out on the board, senior Corinne Ozanne stroked one to left field, enough for Fernandez to reach third and eventually score on a fielding error by the Buccaneer in left field.

In the successive at bat, junior Sydney O'Hara drew another one to left field, positioning pinch runner Kelsey Johnson at third. A ground out to the pitcher with freshman Hannah Dossett at the plate drove Johnson home, finalizing a 3-1 victory for the Orange.

The two teams held each other scoreless and allowed each other one hit apiece for the first five innings of the contest, before both squads got on the board in the sixth inning.

The Orange struck first after Fernandez started things off with a base hit up the middle with two outs on the board. The sophomore stole second with an ensuing Doane at the plate, before she drove one to center field, reeling in Fernandez at home plate to make it 1-0.

The Buccaneers answered right back in the bottom of the sixth riding on two outs as well, as junior Lexie Vanada sent one past the left field fence for a solo home run to knot the game up at one apiece.

CSU left two runners stranded on base in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. The Orange recorded a base hit in the top half of the eighth inning and the Buccaneers tallied one in the latter half, but neither team could convert in their respective at bats, triggering a final ninth inning of play.

O'Hara earned the win on the mound, pitching a total of 2.2 innings while allowing no runs and only one hit. She finished with three strikeouts under her belt. Senior Jocelyn Cater tossed the first 5.2 innings, allowing five hits and one run while racking up six strikeouts.

Fernandez and O'Hara both went 2-4 at the plate on the afternoon, with Fernandez adding a stolen base and two runs to the mix. Doane and Dossett tallied an RBI apiece, with Doane's base hit to center field ringing in the first run of the day. Ozanne and junior Alyssa Dewes also registered base hits in the victory, placing Ozanne on a four-game hitting streak.

Syracuse wraps up its road swing this weekend, traveling to Tallahassee, Fla. for a three-game series at No. 11 Florida State. The Orange and the Seminoles start things off on Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

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