Syracuse saves runs with standout fielding in shutout of North Carolina State

AnnaMarie Gatti’s shutout looked like it wouldn’t last. In the top of the fourth, North Carolina State had a runner on third base before Syracuse had recorded an out.

The next batter, N.C. State’s Haylee Kobziak, hit a blooper to right field, where Toni Martin fielded the ball on a short hop. As soon as the ball touched the ground, Jade Caraway, the runner on third, started for home. Martin launched the ball on a line to SU catcher Michala Maciolek, who caught it and pivoted to third, where Caraway was returning to the base. The Wolfpack center fielder had barely made it halfway down the base path before turning back.

“Toni’s in right for a reason,” head coach Mike Bosch said. “She’s got the arm to really throw people out. Making that play to keep (Caraway) at third was huge.”

“The kid has a gun,” Gatti said. “You saw it.”

Martin’s throw preserved the Orange’s shutout, and Gatti struck out the next two batters and forced a groundout to escape the inning. Syracuse (25-18, 7-11 Atlantic Coast) made several run-saving defensive plays to shut out North Carolina State (22-24, 5-14), 2-0, on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Skytop Softball Stadium. The Wolfpack failed to find gaps in SU’s defense, leaving four runners on base, three of whom were in scoring position.

After Martin’s throw and Gatti’s two strikeouts in the fourth, the Orange still needed an out to end the inning, while N.C. State had runners on second and third. The Wolfpack’s Timberlyn Shurbutt hit a slow dribbler down the third base line, where Hannah Dossett gathered and fired the ball to an outstretched Faith Cain at first base, barely beating Shurbutt to end the inning. The crowd, which was the largest and loudest it’s been at an SU home game this season, erupted at Dossett’s athletic effort.

“I feel like I make more athletic plays there,” Dossett said about playing third base, which has been rare this season as she has primarily played first. “We were all around on it today, pitching and fielding. Everyone just felt nice.”

The defense needed to back up Gatti again in the top of the sixth after she walked her first batter. N.C. State’s Sam Russ had worked the walk, and she stole second base a batter later. Again, the Orange was faced with a runner in scoring position and no outs. A Gatti strikeout, one of the senior’s eight, gave SU its first out, but the inning wouldn’t end before the infield was tested.

The next two Wolfpack hitters grounded out to Sammy Fernandez and Gabby Teran, respectively. Both middle infielders had to quickly move their feet to get to the ball, especially the second baseman Teran, who fielded it backhand before throwing to first. Russ never advanced past second base.

SU’s defense still had to wrap up the game. Dossett had already displayed her athleticism and fielding ability in the fourth. When the game was on the line late, she showed it again. With the tying run at the plate and two outs in the top of the seventh, another slow grounder came to Dossett from pinch-hitter Jessica Moore. She charged the ball, fielded it and whipped it straight to Cain, ending the game and locking up Gatti’s second career shutout.

“We did very well at keeping cool when it was the situations with runners on,” Dossett said. “We could’ve folded, a lot of times this season we probably have. I think everyone had energy today and we came out on top.”