Orange Fall to No. 20 Texas Tech, Houston

Friday, February 21

Houston, TX

3:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM CT

Syracuse University

3-5

Texas Tech

9-3

Texas Tech

Syracuse

2/21/2020 8:50:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

HOUSTON, TEXAS – Syracuse (3-6) started its weekend at the Houston Challenge Friday, falling to #20 Texas Tech, 4-3, and to Houston, 8-0. Senior Toni Martin provided the offense for the Orange with a three-run home run against the Red Raiders.

It was the first meeting between 'Cuse and Texas Tech and the second between the Orange and the Cougars. Syracuse is now 0-2 in Houston.

GAME 1 vs. #20 TEXAS TECH (L, 3-4)
All of the offense, from both teams, came from home runs in the first game of the day, as the 20^th ranked Red Raiders edged the Orange, 4-3. Catie Dobbs pitched her first career complete game for Syracuse in her first career start. She picked up the loss, finishing with four strikeouts and allowing four earned runs in seven innings.

A lead-off walk for junior Maddie Westmoreland began the top half of the second inning and sophomore Zoe Jones lifted one over the left field wall to give Texas Tech a 2-0 advantage in the next at-bat.

In the bottom of the frame, Toni Martin blasted her first long ball of 2020 to give the Orange a 3-2 edge. The three-run shot brought in Neli Casares-Maher, who walked, and Alex Acevedo after she reached on an error.

A Red Raider single was the only hit for either team in the next three innings. In the top of the sixth, redshirt junior Heaven Burton slapped a single to center and scored when Breanna Russell parked her third home run of the season to give her team a 4-3 lead. Senior Missy Zoch kept 'Cuse off the bases in the seventh and earned the win in the circle for Texas Tech.

Three of the six hits combined between the Orange and the Red Raiders were home runs. Jamie Gregg registered the other Syracuse hit.

GAME 2 at HOUSTON
Senior Sarah Queen jump started the offense for the host Cougars in the bottom of the first inning, hitting a double to right center to bring across Charese Wyatt after she drew a walk. Queen followed the double with a triple in the second to score two more runs for Houston and put them ahead, 3-0. Both Cougar tallies in the second inning were unearned.

Houston was quickly threatening once again in the third after two base hits put runners on second and third. Sophomore Kati Ray Brown's single tacked on another run for the Cougars and extended its advantage to 4-0. A three-run home run off the bat of graduate student Becca Schulte bolstered the Houston cushion to seven, and Queen's fourth run batted-in in the bottom of the fifth sealed the win for the Cougars via run rule.

Jaime Barta's single was the lone hit for the Orange. Alexa Romero finished with four strikeouts and only gave up two earned runs in three innings in the circle.

UP NEXT
Syracuse looks to bounce back Saturday when it faces Louisiana Tech and Princeton at Cougar Softball Stadium. The Orange face the Bulldogs first at 12:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. CT, followed by the Tigers immediately after.

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