Syracuse University
26-17, 7-10
North Carolina
36-13, 14-6
Orange Rally Falls Short, Split Series with UNC
4/23/2017 3:40:00 PM | Softball
Pair battle through nine innings at Skytop
The Orange and the Tar Heels split the two-game series, as SU garnered the 3-1 victory in the series opener.
"It was 4-4, we came back in the seventh and tied that up and we battled there at the end," head coach Mike Bosch said. "I think we fought pretty hard."
Romero (10-7) took control of the pitcher's mound for eight innings, tallying eight strikeouts and just three walks in 38 batters. AnnaMarie Gatti (7-6) was tabbed with the loss.
The rally began in the bottom of the fifth frame, as Syracuse faced a 4-0 deficit. A double from Rachel Burkhardt and a single from Sammy Fernandez accounted for the first RBI of the game for SU. With two outs on the board, Alicia Hansen bombed a 2 RBI home run over the center field wall to bring the Orange within one, 4-3.
An RBI double from Faith Cain tied the game in the bottom of the fifth.
Hansen was 3-for-5 on the day with three runs and two RBI. Sydney O'Hara was perfect from home plate, as she hit 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, while Cain was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
The Tar Heels added three runs in the top of the final inning of regulation, giving the Orange a last-frame challenge.
'Cuse took the challenge and ran with it, beginning with a double from Hansen. A single from O'Hara put runners on the corners, before a one-out RBI single from Bryce Holmgren brought SU within two, 7-5.
Hannah Dossett finished up the rally with a two-out 2 RBI single to center field to tie the game, 7-7, and push extra innings.
UNC's offense put up four runs in the top of the ninth inning, giving 'Cuse a chance for a third rally of the day.
Once again, Hansen began the action with a base hit through the left side, before O'Hara slammed an RBI triple down the right field line. Trailing 11-8, Jessica Heese hit an RBI double to left center to bring the score to 11-9.
Heese was 1-for-1 on the day with two runs and an RBI.
The Orange were able to tack on one last run, as Heese scored on Dossett's groundout. The Tar Heel defense halted the rally and claimed the victory, 11-10.
Syracuse takes to the road on Wednesday as it travels to Colgate for a midweek non-conference doubleheader.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kendra Lynch (10-4)
L: Gatti, AnnaMarie (7-6)
Batting:
2B: Leah Murray 1 ; Brittany Pickett 1 ; Brittany West 1
HR: Kendra Lynch 1 ; Katelyn Shifflett 1
RBI: Kendra Lynch 1 ; Berlynne Delamora 2 ; Katelyn Shifflett 2 ; Katie Bailiff 1 ; Brittany West 4
SH: Taylor Wike 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Leah Murray 2 ; Kendra Lynch 1 ; Berlynne Delamora 2 ; Katelyn Shifflett 2 ; Brittany Pickett 1 ; Katie Bailiff 1 ; Hailey Cole 1 ; Campbell Hutcherson 1
SB: Leah Murray 1 ; Taylor Wike 1 ; Hailey Cole 1 ; Destiny DeBerry 1
HBP: Berlynne Delamora 1
Batting:
2B: Hansen, Alicia 1 ; O'Hara, Sydney 1 ; Heese, Jessica 1 ; Cain, Faith 1 ; Burkhardt, Rachel 1
3B: O'Hara, Sydney 1
HR: Hansen, Alicia 1
RBI: Fernandez, Sammy 1 ; Hansen, Alicia 2 ; O'Hara, Sydney 1 ; Holmgren, Bryce 1 ; Heese, Jessica 1 ; Cain, Faith 1 ; Dossett, Hannah 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Fernandez, Sammy 1 ; Hansen, Alicia 3 ; O'Hara, Sydney 2 ; Martin, Toni 1 ; Heese, Jessica 2 ; Burkhardt, Rachel 1
HBP: Holmgren, Bryce 1
