Orange Go 1-1 Saturday, Will Face Bulls for USF Tournament Title

Saturday, February 29

Tampa, FL

11:30 AM

Syracuse University

6-9

South Florida

9-7

Syracuse

USF

Orange Go 1-1 Saturday, Will Face Bulls for USF Tournament Title

2/29/2020 7:12:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

TAMPA, FLA. – The title game of the USF Tournament awaits Syracuse (7-9) as they were beaten by South Florida (10-7), 1-0 early Saturday and responded by beating Rutgers (7-11), 11-4 in the second game. The Orange are 2-2 in the four games they played in Tampa and will take on the host Bulls, who are 4-0, at 11:30 tomorrow morning.

Nine different Orange registered at least a hit in the two contests Saturday, Alexis Kaiser setting the pace with three hits, including a home run, against the Scarlet Knights. Kaiser drove in four runs in the victory and Mia Cunnings added two hits and a pair of RBIs on the day.

Alexa Romero settled for the loss against South Florida, despite striking out nine opponents and not walking anybody in six innings. The tally for the Bulls was unearned. Kaia Oliver moved to 3-4 on the season after pitching 6.1 innings in relief against Rutgers and shutting them out.

GAME 1 at South Florida (L, 0-1)
Romero gave the Orange a strong start in the circle, striking out four South Florida hitters in the opening two innings. Senior Brooke Hartman put the lone Bulls run on the board in the home half of the third with an RBI single to right center field, one of three USF hits in the frame. The tally was unearned as it was scored following a Syracuse throwing error.

'Cuse struggled to muster any offense in the first five innings, recording two hits and a walk while leaving all three of its baserunners on. Gabby Teran and Cunnings had the hits for the Orange and Toni Martin worked the base on balls.

Junior pitcher Georgina Corrick ultimately won the pitcher's duel, shutting out Syracuse with 10 strikeouts and only allowing a pair of hits thru seven frames.

GAME 2 vs. RUTGERS (W, 11-4)
Unlike the first contest of the day, there was plentiful offense on both sides from the get-go. Rutgers began with a four-run top of the first inning that featured two-run home runs from graduate student Gabrielle Callaway and freshman Payton Lincavage. The Orange starter, Catie Dobbs, lasted two thirds of an inning before being replaced by Oliver, who came in and got the final out.

Syracuse responded with its most productive inning of the 2020 campaign, hanging seven runs on the Scarlet Knights in the home half of the first. After Jamie Gregg reached on an error and Teran was hit with a pitch, Neli Casares-Maher doubled down the right field line to get 'Cuse on the board, and Cunnings grounded out to first to score Teran. Kaiser followed Cunnings with an RBI single to center, Miranda Hearn and Martin each hit RBI doubles and Paris Woods legged out an RBI triple, before Gregg's single brought Woods home to cap the rally and put the Orange on top, 7-4.

A walk and a stolen base by Casares-Maher put Syracuse back in business in the bottom of the second inning. Cunnings' single to left center brought her around to score and Kaiser hit her second home run on the season in the next at-bat to extend the Orange advantage to 10-4. Kaiser stayed hot at the plate, driving in the final 'Cuse tally with a double in the bottom of the fourth, finishing the game 3-for-3 with four runs batted-in.

After entering the game in the first inning, Oliver allowed only three Scarlet Knights to reach base, at one point retiring 10 of them in a row. She recorded a pair of strikeouts and three walks in the win.

NOTEWORTHY

Kaiser's three hits and four RBIs versus Rutgers were both career-highs. She now leads Syracuse with 10 runs batted-in in 2020.
Cunnings two RBIs against the Scarlet Knights set a new season-high.
11 runs in the win were a season-best for the Orange.

UP NEXT
'Cuse will rematch South Florida tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. for the title of USF Tournament Champion to conclude its time in Tampa.

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