STAFF : Strong pitching carries Syracuse to 3 wins during weekend tournament
Photo/Mark Nash
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Although Syracuse didn’t knock off two ranked opponents like it did last weekend, the Orange still managed a respectable five games over three days.
SU (12-8) came away with three wins down in Clearwater, Fla. with victories over Miami (OH), Kennesaw State and Virginia Tech in the USF Under Armour Invitational. The Orange also suffered two losses, though, falling to South Carolina Upstate and Boston University.
Syracuse started the weekend off with a pitcher’s duel against Miami (Ohio) Friday, where senior Jenna Caira dominated batters for a complete-game shutout in SU’s 1-0 win. The Orange’s ace allowed just three hits while striking out six batters.
Syracuse’s lone run of the game came on a RBI double from senior Stephanie Watts in the second inning, which scored freshman Carey-Leigh Thomas.
The Orange fell 3-1 in its second game of the day against USC Upstate. SU went up 1-0 early in the game, and the score stayed that way until the fifth inning when the Spartans tied the game. In the sixth, USC Upstate scored two more runs, eventually sending the Spartans to the win.
On Saturday, BU scored early to take the 1-0 lead, and the Terriers’ pitching shut down Syracuse’s hitters for the entire game to preserve the shutout. SU freshman pitcher Lindsay Taylor gave the Orange a chance to win, never allowing a baserunner for a stretch of four innings, but SU’s offense went silent.
After back-to-back losses and limited offense, the Orange bats finally woke up in the back end of SU’s doubleheader Saturday. Syracuse hammered Kennesaw State pitching in an 8-1 win. Four different SU players had multi-hit games, with senior Lisaira Daniels leading the way with three hits and two runs scored.
The Orange ended the weekend on a high note, blanking Virginia Tech 5-0. Caira turned in another impressive performance in a complete-game shutout. For the weekend, she went 3-0 on the mound.
The Orange returns to action Tuesday when it plays Bradley at 2 pm.
– Compiled by David Propper, staff writer, dgproppe@syr.edu