‘Cuse Picks up Two Crucial Wins Over NC State

Saturday, April 21

1 PM

Syracuse University

24-18, 6-11

North Carolina State

22-23, 5-13

NC State

Syracuse

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

4/21/2018 7:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse (25-18, 7-11 ACC) picked up a pair of important ACC wins over NC State (22-24, 5-14) in a doubleheader Saturday Afternoon at Skytop Softball Stadium. Sophomore Alexa Romero struck out a career-high 16 batters to lead the Orange to a 3-1 victory in game one and senior AnnaMarie Gatti matched her personal best with eight strikeouts in a 2-0 win in game two.

The Orange and the Wolfpack will conclude their three-game series tomorrow with a single game at Skytop Softball Stadium. First pitch is at 12 p.m.

Game 1: Syracuse 3, NC State 1
Romero pitched a complete game two-hitter, giving up a run and a walk. Junior Bryce Holmgren and Freshman Michala Maciolek each went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

NC State took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning off a solo homerun from Haylee Kobziak.

A two-out, third inning, rally gave the Orange the lead. Junior Alicia Hansen walked and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Holmgren drove Hansen home with an RBI single up the middle to even the score at one. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and senior Rachel Burkhardt was hit by a pitch, which scored another. Maciolek reached on an infield single in the next-at bat to drive home the third run for 'Cuse.

Romero was lights out in the circle. She recorded the first 10 outs of the game off strikeouts. The Wolfpack got runners on first and second in the fifth with two outs but a pop-out to first base ended the inning.

Game 2: Syracuse 2, NC State 0
Gatti went the distance while conceding two hits and two walks to improve to 9-6 on the season. Maciolek went 1-for-1 with an RBI and two walks and senior Faith Cain batted 2-for-3.

Syracuse took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when freshman Miranda Hearn scored on a fielding error by an NC State infielder.

The Wolfpack used a walk and a single to obtain runners on second and third with no outs in the fourth. Gatti responded with back-to-back strikeouts and forced a groundout to third to get the Orange out of the jam.

With runners on first and second with two outs in the sixth, Maciolek singled home an insurance run to give 'Cuse a 2-0 advantage.

Of Note
Syracuse completes an ACC doubleheader sweep at Skytop Softball Stadium for the first time since the Orange recorded a pair of wins over Virginia on April 25, 2015.

Romero's previous career-high of strikeouts was 14, which both occurred this year at Elon and Army West Point. The 16 batters she fanned this afternoon is tied for the 14^th highest single-game total across NCAA Div. I institutions in 2018. She improves to 15-11 on the season.

Gatti has now struck out a personal-best eight batters on three occasions.

Cain finished the doubleheader batting 3-for-4 with a walk and Holmgren singled in each game to increase her reached base streak to 16 games.

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