No. 2 Florida State pounds 15 hits, cruises past Syracuse in 18-9 victory

With two outs and the bases loaded, Hannah Dossett dropped a routine foul ball pop-up. The play would’ve stopped the bleeding at two runs. Instead, Florida State’s Ellie Cooper drove the ensuing pitch into the safety net above the right field fence.

“We didn’t play defense,” Syracuse head coach Mike Bosch said. “… Had we simply caught a ball that was in the air we would’ve been in the dugout and that wouldn’t have happened.”

The next pitch sailed over a pine tree in left field to cap off FSU’s seven-run fourth inning. The Seminoles entered the fourth up 5-4 and left it with a 12-4 lead en route to a 18-9 win Saturday afternoon. Syracuse (19-13, 3-7 Atlantic Coast) hung with No. 2 Florida State (36-1-1, 16-0) through the first three innings at Skytop Stadium, but the seven-run fourth opened the flood gates. In a game where SU matched Florida State with 15 hits, SU starter Alexa Romero allowed 12 runs in 3 2/3 innings in the circle — only six of which were earned.

Two of SU’s four errors came in the fourth inning, and the nation’s best hitting team seized the opportunity.

“We just kind of shut down defensively for an inning,” said sophomore second baseman Alicia Hansen, who belted a two-run shot and went 3-for-5. “We did some things we wouldn’t usually do and those little things all count.”

The inning began with a pop-up to catcher Alyssa Dewes. The senior completed the easy play for the first out. Then, the wheels fell off. Romero threw a 3-2 pitch barely off the ground, providing Florida State’s Morgan Klaevemann a free walk to first base. Klaevemann stole second and advanced to third on a poor throw from the plate. Freshman centerfielder Toni Martin misjudged what should’ve been the inning’s second out, allowing Klaevemann to score. As the ball came back to Romero, Dani Morgan stood safely on third base fist pumping toward the Seminole dugout — a place she should’ve been sitting.

Romero nailed Jessica Warren in the back during the next at bat, placing runners on the corners. A hard one-hopper skipped past Hansen as Morgan reached home. Sammy Fernandez corralled the next ground ball, but Hansen couldn’t handle the flip at second, loading the bases.

After four failed attempts, Syracuse recorded the second out of the inning. Fernandez scooped up the grounder and played the force out at home-plate saving the Orange a run.

But it didn’t matter. In the next at-bat, Dossett dropped the pop-up. The next two batters homered to sink Syracuse into an unrecoverable hole.

“It wasn’t anything where you’re asking them to make an ESPN play at all,” Bosch said. “You’re just asking them to make a routine defensive play.”

After the 15-minute half inning, the mistakes continued. With two outs, Dossett drove the ball shallow into the outfield. The hit could’ve loaded the bases, but Faith Cain continued passed third. The designated hitter was barely halfway to the plate when Seminoles catcher Sydney Broderick caught the ball. A routine tag ended the fourth inning for Syracuse.

After the top half of the inning carried on far longer than it should’ve, the bottom half ended too soon. The 10-run inning was decisive, but not in Syracuse’s favor.

“We can’t give them four or five outs in an inning,” Bosch said.