Syracuse softball splits opening games against East Carolina, No. 10 Georgia

Syracuse (1-1) blew a 5-2 lead to No. 10 Georgia (2-0) Friday evening in the bottom of the seventh inning, losing 6-5. Earlier on Friday, SU captured its first win of the 2017 season with a 9-6 victory over East Carolina (0-1) in Athens, Georgia, as part of the Red and Black Showcase.

In Game 1, East Carolina jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second inning. Syracuse ace AnnaMarie Gatti, allowed four runs and six walks before she exited after only an inning on the mound. Baylee Douglass replaced her and kept East Carolina off the scoreboard for the next two innings.

In the third inning, Sydney O’Hara knocked in her third run of the day, sparking a Syracuse rally that resulted in a Faith Cain RBI and an Andrea Bombace two-run home run to move the game to 6-4.

East Carolina tied the game again at 6-6 in the fourth inning before Syracuse scored three more runs in the fifth and sixth innings to put the game out of reach, 9-6. Douglass, a transfer, picked up her first win at Syracuse and O’Hara collected her first save of the season.

In Game 2, the Orange shelled Kylie Bass with a four-run inning in the second. Hannah Dossett knocked in the first run of the game with a solo home run to right center. Alicia Hansen padded the total with a 3-RBI double to the center field warning track, just passed the outstretched glove of UGA centerfielder Cortni Emanuel.

The Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice fly from Justice Milz. Emaneul scored in the third when her sister, Sydni Emanuel, drove her in on a single down the third base line.

Syracuse freshman pitcher, Alexa Romero carried a 4-2 lead into the seventh inning, when Hansen added another RBI, her fourth of the day. Georgia, though, took advantage of the young righty in its last half inning. Romero failed to get an out, giving up three runs and leaving a runner on third. She was replaced by Douglass, who gave up the winning run on the next pitch, a line drive to left field from Emanuel.

The Orange will face Georgia in a rematch tomorrow at 3 p.m. before finishing out the day against Winthrop at 5:30.