Kaiser Drives in Three, Orange Top Spartans

Sunday, February 9

Miami, FL

12:30 PM

Syracuse University

2-1

Michigan State

0-4

Syracuse

Michigan State

2/9/2020 3:48:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Head Coach Shannon Doepking Postgame

MIAMI, FLA. – A four-run fifth inning lifted Syracuse (2-1) over Big Ten foe Michigan State (0-4) in the final matchup of the Felsberg Invitational at Florida International University. Alexis Kaiser produced three of the five Orange tallies and the pitching tandem of Alexa Romero and Kaia Oliver held the Spartans to only one run.

Seven different 'Cuse players registered hits, with Neli Casares-Maher and Toni Martin driving in the other two runs for the Orange. Romero gave her team four innings in the circle, striking out seven batters and allowing the lone earned run on four hits. Oliver worked her way out of a bases loaded, no outs jam in the fifth, and finished with three scoreless innings. The freshman allowed only one hit and struck out two Michigan State batters in her appearance.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After two scoreless innings on each side, the Orange loaded the bases in the top half of the third after Jaime Barta reached on a Spartan error, Jamie Gregg singled and Gabby Teran reached on a fielder's choice. Kaiser got Syracuse on the board with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Barta, for her first RBI of the season. The tally was all the Orange would get in the frame, leaving two runners on base.

Michigan State immediately responded, evening the score at one in the bottom half of the third. Freshman Camryn Wincher worked a walk to lead off the inning and junior Caitie Ladd doubled to left field to bring her across. Ladd reached third on the throw but Romero retired the next two batters to get out of the jam.

Syracuse gave itself a more comfortable lead in the top of the fifth, putting four runs on the board and taking a 5-1 lead. The frame began nearly identically to how it began in the third, but with Barta laying down a bunt single and Gregg reaching on an error. Teran once against got on first on a fielder's choice and Kaiser ripped a single to centerfield, bringing in her second and third runs batted-in of the afternoon and putting the Orange back on top, 3-1.

A single from Alex Acevedo advanced Kaiser's pinch-runner, Paris Woods, to third and Casares-Maher's bunt single brought her home. Martin added the other insurance tally with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Acevedo.

The first three Michigan State hitters reached base in the bottom of the fifth on a walk and two hits, prompting Shannon Doepking to turn to Oliver in relief of Romero. The freshman came up with a strikeout and two ground balls to get 'Cuse out of the jam unscathed and the Orange cruised to the four-run win.

WEEKEND NOTES
Gabby Teran was named to the All-Tournament team after pacing all Syracuse hitters in hits (4), batting average (.364) and slugging percentage (.818) in the three games. Her and Kaiser each finished the weekend with three runs batted-in.

Three different Orange recorded their first collegiate hits in Miami (Rebecca Clyde, Jude Padilla and Gregg).

Romero tossed 12 innings in the Felsberg Invitational, surrendering four earned runs and striking out seven batters en route to a 2-0 record. Oliver threw for nine innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out a pair of batters.

UP NEXT
Syracuse travels to Durham, N.C. for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge next weekend. The Orange will play two games against both Rutgers and Indiana, the action beginning with a 3 p.m. first pitch Friday against the Scarlet Knights.

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