Memorable Moments from the 2020 Syracuse Softball Season
4/2/2020 4:10:00 PM | Softball
The 2020 Syracuse softball season lasted only 20 games, coming to an abrupt end due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The Orange ended the campaign with a 10-10 record, but achieved some memorable moments along the way, including an ACC series win, two walk-off wins and a tournament victory.
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Orange Open Season With Walk-Off Win Over Penn State
Syracuse began the 2020 campaign in the win column with a walk-off, come-from-behind victory over Penn State, 5-4, at the Felsberg Invitational in Miami. The Orange overcame a 4-0 deficit and Toni Martin scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a Nittany Lion throwing error.
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Gabby Teran got Syracuse on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the third and hit a triple to bring in another run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Penn State advantage to 4-2. The Orange tied the game at four in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Jude Padilla and Rebecca Clyde both worked walks with the bases loaded to earn their first collegiate RBIs.
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Alexa Romero owned the circle in the season-opener, tossing all eight innings and allowing four hits and three earned runs while striking out four batters.
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Syracuse Knocks Off #20 Texas Tech in Houston
The Orange were on the right side of another eight-inning thriller on February 23, downing #20 Texas Tech, 3-2, to conclude the Houston Challenge. It was the first victory over a top-25 team for Syracuse since beating #19 Notre Dame on March 26, 2020.
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The teams took a scoreless tie into the fourth frame before Paris Woods' infield single in the bottom half gave the Orange a 1-0 advantage. The Red Raiders answered immediately, plating two runs on three hits in the top of the fifth to take their first lead of the ballgame, 2-1. Lailoni Mayfield answered right back with a pinch-hit solo homer in the next inning and the game went to extras knotted at two.
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Standing on second base as part of the International Tie Breaker rule, Teran came in to score the clinching run for Syracuse in the bottom of the eighth. The junior caught the Texas Tech defense off guard and motored home after Clyde put the ball in play to advance her to third. Teran avoided the tag at the plate and sent the Orange home with the win to conclude the weekend.
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Oliver earned the win in the circle after three frames of relief, surrendering one hit and punching out three opponents. She kept the Red Raiders off the board in the top of the seventh inning after they reached third base with only one out.
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'Cuse Claims USF Tournament
The Orange went 3-2 in five games in the USF Tournament and claimed the tournament title with a victory over South Florida on March 1. After going 1-2 in round robin play, Syracuse defeated Rutgers, 11-4, and the Bulls, 7-5, in tournament play.
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Romero saw most of the action in the circle over the weekend, throwing 16 innings and fanning 27 batters in three appearances. Catie Dobbs also picked up her first collegiate victory in the first matchup against Rutgers on February 28. Kaiser finished the weekend with a pair of home runs and a team-leading five runs batted-in, while Martin, Gregg and Mia Cunnings shared the team-lead with five hits in the five games.
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In the clinching contest, with the score tied at three, the Orange put up three runs in the top of the fifth inning thanks to a two-RBI double from Martin and an RBI from Jamie Gregg. Alexis Kaiser also had a solo home run and Romero struck out eight batters in five innings to improve her record to 4-3 at the time.
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Orange Steal ACC series in Chapel Hill
In what would be the final weekend of the 2020 campaign, Syracuse took two of three ACC games at North Carolina to bring its record to 10-10. The Orange won on March 7, 9-5, and March 8, 8-6, to secure their first conference series since April 2019 at NC State. It was the first three-game set that 'Cuse stole (won the final two games after losing the first) since a 2017 road series against Georgia Tech.
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With the series tied at one, the Orange rallied from behind to secure the rubber match, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh inning on Sunday to take an 8-5 lead. The onslaught started with a Mayfield single to score Martin, followed by an RBI groundout with the bases loaded by Miranda Hearn and a two-run single from Teran.
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After two Tar Heels got into scoring position to begin the bottom of the seventh inning, Dobbs was replaced by Oliver in the circle. They pushed across one run, but Oliver struck out two of the three batters she faced to pick up the save and secure the win.
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For continued coverage of Syracuse softball, follow us on Twitter (@CuseSB), Instagram (@cusesb) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse University Softball). Â
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Orange Open Season With Walk-Off Win Over Penn State
Syracuse began the 2020 campaign in the win column with a walk-off, come-from-behind victory over Penn State, 5-4, at the Felsberg Invitational in Miami. The Orange overcame a 4-0 deficit and Toni Martin scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a Nittany Lion throwing error.
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Gabby Teran got Syracuse on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the third and hit a triple to bring in another run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Penn State advantage to 4-2. The Orange tied the game at four in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Jude Padilla and Rebecca Clyde both worked walks with the bases loaded to earn their first collegiate RBIs.
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Alexa Romero owned the circle in the season-opener, tossing all eight innings and allowing four hits and three earned runs while striking out four batters.
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Syracuse Knocks Off #20 Texas Tech in Houston
The Orange were on the right side of another eight-inning thriller on February 23, downing #20 Texas Tech, 3-2, to conclude the Houston Challenge. It was the first victory over a top-25 team for Syracuse since beating #19 Notre Dame on March 26, 2020.
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The teams took a scoreless tie into the fourth frame before Paris Woods' infield single in the bottom half gave the Orange a 1-0 advantage. The Red Raiders answered immediately, plating two runs on three hits in the top of the fifth to take their first lead of the ballgame, 2-1. Lailoni Mayfield answered right back with a pinch-hit solo homer in the next inning and the game went to extras knotted at two.
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Standing on second base as part of the International Tie Breaker rule, Teran came in to score the clinching run for Syracuse in the bottom of the eighth. The junior caught the Texas Tech defense off guard and motored home after Clyde put the ball in play to advance her to third. Teran avoided the tag at the plate and sent the Orange home with the win to conclude the weekend.
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Oliver earned the win in the circle after three frames of relief, surrendering one hit and punching out three opponents. She kept the Red Raiders off the board in the top of the seventh inning after they reached third base with only one out.
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'Cuse Claims USF Tournament
The Orange went 3-2 in five games in the USF Tournament and claimed the tournament title with a victory over South Florida on March 1. After going 1-2 in round robin play, Syracuse defeated Rutgers, 11-4, and the Bulls, 7-5, in tournament play.
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Romero saw most of the action in the circle over the weekend, throwing 16 innings and fanning 27 batters in three appearances. Catie Dobbs also picked up her first collegiate victory in the first matchup against Rutgers on February 28. Kaiser finished the weekend with a pair of home runs and a team-leading five runs batted-in, while Martin, Gregg and Mia Cunnings shared the team-lead with five hits in the five games.
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In the clinching contest, with the score tied at three, the Orange put up three runs in the top of the fifth inning thanks to a two-RBI double from Martin and an RBI from Jamie Gregg. Alexis Kaiser also had a solo home run and Romero struck out eight batters in five innings to improve her record to 4-3 at the time.
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Orange Steal ACC series in Chapel Hill
In what would be the final weekend of the 2020 campaign, Syracuse took two of three ACC games at North Carolina to bring its record to 10-10. The Orange won on March 7, 9-5, and March 8, 8-6, to secure their first conference series since April 2019 at NC State. It was the first three-game set that 'Cuse stole (won the final two games after losing the first) since a 2017 road series against Georgia Tech.
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With the series tied at one, the Orange rallied from behind to secure the rubber match, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh inning on Sunday to take an 8-5 lead. The onslaught started with a Mayfield single to score Martin, followed by an RBI groundout with the bases loaded by Miranda Hearn and a two-run single from Teran.
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After two Tar Heels got into scoring position to begin the bottom of the seventh inning, Dobbs was replaced by Oliver in the circle. They pushed across one run, but Oliver struck out two of the three batters she faced to pick up the save and secure the win.
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For continued coverage of Syracuse softball, follow us on Twitter (@CuseSB), Instagram (@cusesb) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse University Softball). Â
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Players Mentioned
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/ SoftballSyracuse Softball
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