‘Cuse Sweeps Doubleheader Tilt at Gardner-Webb

Tuesday, March 14

Boiling Springs, NC

2 PM

Syracuse University

14-8

Gardner-Webb

7-16

Syracuse

Gardner-Webb

‘Cuse Sweeps Doubleheader Tilt at Gardner-Webb

3/14/2017 7:49:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Orange set new single-game stolen base record

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – In its first nonconference doubleheader of the season, the Orange (15-8, 1-2 ACC) swept Gardner-Webb (7-18, 0-0 Big South) in the midweek matchup in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. Syracuse defeated the Bulldogs 5-2 in game one and 6-2 in game two to seal the sweep.

'Cuse used running to its advantage in the second game, as the team tallied a new single-game program record with 10-10 stolen bases. The old team record stood at five, a number that was set twice in 2013 versus Princeton and Harvard.

Game One
Freshman Alexa Romero (5-3) earned the win from the pitcher's circle in game one, as the lefty threw a career-high 11 strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched. Senior Sydney O'Hara checked in to pitch the final inning and struck out 2-of-3 batters faced while earning her fifth save of the year.

The pair of junior Rachel Burkhardt and sophomore Hannah Dossett led the Orange offense with a pair of runs apiece. Dossett was 2-for-2 from home plate on the game.
Freshman Toni Martin recorded a 2-for-3 showing from home plate with a run and two RBI. Junior Sammy Fernandez was 1-for-4 from home plate with two RBI.

It took just one inning to get the Orange offense started, as a groundout from Fernandez to the second baseman allowed Burkhardt enough time to cross home plate for the first run.

It wasn't until the fourth inning that 'Cuse struck again, as Dossett began the action with a double to right field. Martinez reached first off of an error to follow up, as Dossett was able to take advantage of the error and make it home for the score.

Martin came in clutch in the sixth inning, as the freshman tacked on a 2 RBI single and advanced to second off the error. Dossett and Burkhardt capitalized on the error and made it home for a pair of runs to give Syracuse a 4-0 lead.

Fernandez gave the Orange their final RBI of the game, as she singled to third base to allow Martin to come through for the score.

The Bulldogs tallied a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn't enough to catch up to the Orange, as SU pulled out the 5-2 victory.

Game Two
The Orange offense was hot on the base path in game two, as 'Cuse set a new single-game record with 10-10 stolen bases. The pair of Fernandez and O'Hara each with tallied three apiece.

Junior AnnaMarie Gatti (5-3) earned the victory from the mound with five strikeouts on the game in 5.0 innings pitched.

O'Hara went on to record her sixth save of the year from the pitcher's circle, recording six strikeouts in six batters faced over 2.0 innings pitched.

Junior Faith Cain was 2-of-3 on the game with two runs, while Burkhardt was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Senior Alyssa Dewes was 1-of-2 with a run as well.

Syracuse got off to a hot start right away in the first inning, as a 2 RBI single to center field from Burkhardt brought Cain and O'Hara in to home plate.

The Orange backed it up with two more runs in the top of the second inning. Dewes and Fernandez led off the action with a pair of singles and stolen bases to get into scoring position. Sophomore Alicia Hansen grounded out to the short stop to allow Dews to come in for a run.

O'Hara followed it up with an RBI triple to right field to bring Fernandez in for the fourth run of the game.

'Cuse used a two-run fifth inning to seal the victory. An RBI double from sophomore Bryce Holmgren brought both Cain and O'Hara in for the final two runs of the game.
Gardner-Webb tallied one run apiece in both the bottom of the third and fifth inning, but it wasn't enough.

Syracuse will close out its spring break trip with a weekend series at Georgia Tech spanning March 17-19 in Atlanta, Georgia.

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