'Cuse Splits with #19 Notre Dame to Claim Series

Saturday, March 26

10AM

Syracuse University

Notre Dame

'Cuse Splits with #19 Notre Dame to Claim Series

3/26/2016 4:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Orange win first series against a ranked opponent since the 2012 season

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - After dropping the first game in the doubleheader to No. 19 Notre Dame 6-1, the Syracuse softball team bounced back in the second game to take a 6-4 win and claim the series 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at Skytop Softball Stadium.

With the two wins on the weekend, the Orange (16-15, 3-6 ACC) register its first series win against a ranked opponent since the end of the 2012 season, when Syracuse defeated No. 16 South Florida two games to one to close out the regular season before heading to the BIG EAST Championship and the NCAA Tournament.

Freshman Hannah Dossett came up big in the second game, going 3-3 at the plate to finish the day with one double, one triple, and two RBIs. Freshman Alicia Hansen and sophomore Maddi Doane tallied two hits apiece on the day, with Doane registering two doubles in the latter game to finish with two RBIs.

Senior Corinne Ozanne tallied her seventh home run of the season and 43rd of her career in the first game. She is now just three home runs shy of tying the Syracuse all-time career record of 46 homers.

Sophomore AnnaMarie Gatti notched her seventh win of the season in the circle in the second game, throwing seven innings while allowing four hits and retiring three batters.

GAME 2
Notre Dame got on board early in the first inning, after a base hit, a steal, and a ground out advanced Irish Karley Wester to third. In the next at bat, a wild pitch sent Wester home for the first run of the game.

Syracuse answered back in the bottom of the second with three bunts in a row that sent runners home in the second and third bunts. Freshman Andrea Bombace started the sequence off with a walk to first, and a subsequent bunt by Hansen sent pinch runner Aliyah Wade to second. With Dossett at the plate next and no outs on the board, the freshman registered an RBI bunt that advanced Wade home and Hansen to third. Redshirt sophomore Olivia Martinez then bunted and reached on a fielder's choice play that brought Hansen home to make it a 2-1 ballgame.

The Orange held the Irish to its one run while tacking on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, after Dossett started things off with a lead-off double to left center field. With one out on the boards, junior Alyssa Dewes stroked a base hit to center field, placing Dossett at third. A fielder's choice play with Fernandez at bat retired Dossett in an attempt to reach home plate, but ended up advancing Fernandez and Dewes to second and third base. In the next at bat, Doane topped it off with a two-RBI double to left center that sent Fernandez and Dewes home, placing the Orange at a 4-1 advantage.

Syracuse didn't stop in its next at bat in the bottom of the fifth, after fielder's choice play and an Irish throwing error put Hansen on second. Dossett didn't disappoint in her third and final at bat of the game, sending one deep off the center field wall for an RBI triple that welcomed Hansen to home plate. An error by the Notre Dame pitcher in the following at bat brought Dossett home for the Orange's sixth run of the game.

The Irish attempted a comeback in the top of the sixth, after a three-run home run by Micaela Arizmendi put Notre Dame within two of Syracuse heading into the final inning and a half. That's as close as the Irish would get, however, as Notre Dame grounded out in three of its last four at bats in the top of the seventh to seal a 6-4 Syracuse victory.

GAME 1
Just like the second game, the Irish got on board first in the opening inning off of a wild pitch with a runner at third.

Ozanne's 43rd career home run came in the bottom of the first, when the senior sent one well over the scoreboard in left field to knot the game up a one run apiece.

That's as far as the Orange would get in the first game, however, as the Irish added a run in the top of the third inning off of an error out in left field that sent the runner at third home.

Syracuse stayed within one of Notre Dame until the top of the fifth inning, when the Irish tallied three doubles off of the first four at bats to send two runners home, making in a 4-1 ballgame. A two-run homer to right center field in the next at bat by Caitlyn Brooks capped a 6-1 victory for Notre Dame, as the two teams proceeded to hold each other scoreless for the final two and a half innings.

Syracuse continues home play this coming week, taking on Hofstra on Tuesday, Mar. 29, in a doubleheader set to begin at 2 p.m.

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