Orange Set for USF Tournament

USF TOURNAMENT

SYRACUSE VS. RUTGERS
Game Details: Friday, Feb. 28 -- 9 a.m.
Location: USF Softball Stadium | Tampa, FL
Game Links: | Live Stats
Syracuse Links:  News | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Rutgers Links:   News | Roster | Schedule | Stats

SYRACUSE VS. TEXAS A&M CORPUS CHRISTI
Game Details: Friday, Feb. 28 – 11:30 a.m.
Location: USF Softball Stadium | Tampa, FL
Game Links: Live Stats
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Texas A&M Corpus Christi Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats

SYRACUSE VS. SOUTH FLORIDA
Game Details: Saturday, Feb. 29 – 11:30 a.m.
Location: USF Softball Stadium | Tampa, FL
Game Links: Listen | Live Stats
Syracuse Links:  News | Roster | Schedule | Stats
South Florida Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats

TAMPA, FL – Syracuse (5-7) will close out the month of February with another trip to Florida to compete in the South Florida Tournament. The Orange will rematch Rutgers (6-8) and face Texas A&M Corpus Christi (4-9), as well as the host Bulls (6-7) this weekend in Tampa. The action for 'Cuse begins Friday morning at 9 a.m. against the Scarlet Knights.

LAST TIME OUT
The Orange posted a 2-3 record at the Houston Challenge, splitting two games with #20 Texas Tech, defeating Louisiana Tech and losing to Houston and Princeton. Syracuse's 3-2 walk-off win over the Red Raiders on Sunday was its first triumph over a ranked opponent since defeating #19 Notre Dame, 2-1, on March 26, 2016. Gabby Teran's heads-up base-running play in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring from second base on a routine ground ball to clinch the victory.

Toni Martin topped the Orange with four RBIs in the five games over the weekend, adding a three-run home run in Friday's loss to Texas Tech. Neli Casares-Maher led 'Cuse in hits with four and had three RBIs. The junior's .314 batting average is the highest on the team so far in 2020 and Teran leads the team in hits with 12.

Alexa Romero, Kaia Oliver and Catie Dobbs occupied the circle for the Orange in Houston. Romero recorded the fifth save of her career in the win over Louisiana Tech, tying Erin Downey (05-07) for fourth in Orange history. Oliver picked up the first two winning decisions of her career against the Bulldogs and Red Raiders and made three appearances in the five contests. She totaled 11.1 innings pitched and struck out eight batters while allowing five earned runs. Catie Dobbs was in the circle for the majority of the two games against Texas Tech, including 4.1 shutout innings on Sunday. The freshman surrendered four earned runs in 11.1 innings of work in her two appearances in Houston and paces the squad with a 2.86 ERA this season.

SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Rutgers was in Arlington, Texas last weekend for the Boerner Invitational, going 1-4 in five games against Kansas, UT San Antonio and UT Arlington. The lone victory for the Scarlet Knights came in their second matchup against UT San Antonio, 2-0, after falling to the Roadrunners, 2-1, in the first meeting. They suffered 10-1 and 3-2 setbacks against Kansas and lost, 5-4, to the host Mavericks.

Sophomore Aleah Marra led the Scarlet Knights over the weekend with five hits, including a home run against UT Arlington. She currently ranks third on the team with a .311 batting average and holds a .500 slugging percentage thanks to a squad-leading six extra base hits. Marra's 14 hits ties graduate student Gabrielle Callaway for the most on Rutgers. Callaway's .359 average is highest on the Scarlet Knights for hitters with at least 20 at bats.

Freshman Jaden Vickers paces Rutgers in the circle with a 3.17 ERA in 35.1 innings pitched. She tossed 15.2 frames in three appearances in Arlington, allowing three earned runs and punching out 14 hitters, and earned the winning decision against UT San Antonio after 6.1 shutout innings.

Syracuse dropped two matchups against the Scarlet Knights at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge two weeks ago in Durham but hold a 22-7-1 all-time record in the series.

SCOUTING THE ISLANDERS
Texas A&M Corpus Christi hosted four games as part of the Islander Invitational last weekend. The Islanders dropped both games they played against North Texas and went 1-1 versus Texas Southern.

Freshman Sydney Hoyt is the main contributor to the Corpus Christi offense. Thru 12 games, Hoyt leads the Islanders with a .400 average at the plate and has driven in nine of the team's 24 total runs. She has five extra base hits for Corpus Christi, including three homers.

Sophomore Jenika Lombrana's 38.1 innings in the circle is the most of any Islander pitcher. She owns a 3-3 record, has thrown four complete games, and leads Corpus Christi with a 2.19 ERA. Lombrana picked up the win Saturday against Texas Southern after seven innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts.

This will be the first meeting between the Orange and the Islanders.

SCOUTING THE BULLS
South Florida played host to Florida International and #12 Tennessee for the USF Invitational this past weekend, and went a perfect 4-0. The Bulls defeated the Volunteers by a run in each game they played and took down FIU by scores of 7-1 and 5-4. South Florida sits at 6-7 in 2020.

AnaMarie Bruni is the leader for South Florida in the batter's box with 20 hits and a .455 batting average in 13 contests. In the four games last weekend, she went 7-for-14 at the plate. Senior Brooke Hartman's nine RBIs lead the Bulls and she had four against Tennessee and FIU.

Junior Georgina Corrick earned all four winning decisions over the weekend and now has a 5-3 record on the year. Her 2.13 ERA in 52.2 innings is best for the Bulls and she has struck out 61 opponents.

The Bulls have bested the Orange in 11 of 16 meetings between the two programs, but 'Cuse came out with the win the last time the teams played in 2017, 2-1, in Tampa.

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Players Mentioned

Neli Casares-Maher

Catie Dobbs

Toni Martin

Kaia Oliver

Alexa Romero

Gabby Teran

Syracuse University Athletics