Syracuse Sweeps Siena in Doubleheader

Thursday, April 28

3PM

Syracuse University

26-21

Siena

21-17

Siena

Syracuse

4/28/2016 9:09:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse softball team swept in-state rival Siena in doubleheader action on Thursday afternoon at Skytop Softball Stadium. The Orange (27-21, 9-11) took the first game in five innings 9-1 and held off the Saints (21-18, 6-6) in the second game 8-6.

Home runs powered Syracuse in the first game, as the Orange garnered six of the nine total runs off of four homers, including a three-run homer by freshman Alicia Hansen in the bottom of the fifth that finalized a 9-1 run-rule.

Only up by two runs heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Orange bats grew hot and amassed six runs off of five hits in the final frame, with junior Alyssa Dewes starting things off with a lead-off homer past the center field wall.

Sophomore Maddi Doane stepped up to the plate next and got herself on base with a hit through the right side. With one out on the boards, senior Corinne Ozanne drew a base hit to right field, before junior Sydney O'Hara walked to first to load up the bases.

Freshman Andrea Bombace made it a 5-1 ballgame with an RBI single to left field, and a subsequent sacrifice fly by freshman Hannah Dossett plated another run to make it 6-1. It was Hansen then that topped it off with a three-RBI homer to decide the game after five innings of play.

O'Hara found herself a new spot in the Syracuse record books, registering her fifth save of the season after stepping into the circle in the top of the fifth with the Orange up by two. Her five saves now on the season create a new single-season record for the Orange, surpassing former Orange standouts Erin Downey's and Jenna Caira's four saves. Sophomore AnnaMarie Gatti earned her 12th win of the season in the circle, tossing four innings and allowing one run off of five hits while collecting four Ks.

The Orange's three runs of the opening game came off of homers by Bombace in the bottom of the second and Ozanne in the bottom of the fourth, along with an RBI single by Dossett in the same frame.

Ozanne finished 2-3 at the plate in the first game, registering her 13th home run of the season that bumped her up to second in Syracuse career RBIs with 136.

GAME 2
The Saints got on the board in the first at bat of the game with a home run past the left center field wall. The Orange answered right back in the bottom half of the first inning, thanks to two doubles by sophomore Rachel Burkhardt and O'Hara that sent Burkhardt home to knot the game up at one apiece.

Siena took the lead back in the top of the second off of an RBI single to right field that came fresh off of a double in the previous at bat. The Saints made it a 4-1 ballgame in the third inning with a two-run homer over the right center field fence.

The Orange came bouncing back to even the score at four runs in the bottom half of the third, thanks to three base hits in a row right off of the bat by Burkhardt, Ozanne, and O'Hara. With two outs on the board, two doubles in a row by Dossett and Hansen plated two more runs to level the score heading into the fourth inning.

A lead-off walk by Kelsey Johnson and an error by the third baseman put Doane on base. After the duo stole second and third, an error by the catcher sent Johnson home to give the Orange a one-run advantage. An RBI base hit up the middle by O'Hara drove in Doane and a sacrifice fly by Bombace sent pinch runner Aliyah Wade home to give the Orange a 7-4 advantage.

Siena pulled within one in the next frame thanks to a two-run homer to right field, but that's the last chance the Saints would get, as the Orange secured the victory in the sixth inning with an RBI single to left field by Bombace that topped the 8-6 victory.

Senior Jocelyn Cater earned her 12th win in the circle, throwing 4.1 innings and allowing four runs off of five hits while racking up five strikeouts. Gatti recorded her second save of the season after stepping in the circle in the last inning, allowing one hit and no runs.

Both Dossett and O'Hara finished the day 4-5 at the plate, including two doubles from Dossett and one from O'Hara. The duo tallied three RBIs apiece.

Ozanne, Bombace, and Hansen finished with three hits each and all registered a home run on the day, with Bombace and Hansen adding four RBIs respectively. Dewes added the other Orange homer on the day.

Syracuse embarks on its final homestand of the 2016 season this weekend, taking on ACC foe Boston College in a three-game series Saturday and Sunday. The Orange and the Eagles start things off with a doubleheader on Saturday slated for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The weekend then wraps up with Senior Day on Sunday at 12 p.m.

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