Syracuse wins first game, loses second at Patriot Classic Tournament

Syracuse (8-6) split Saturday’s games against George Mason (4-6) and Monmouth (4-2) in the Patriot Classic Tournament. It was the first day of games in the tournament after Friday’s game against Army was canceled due to weather.

The day’s games started with Syracuse beating George Mason, 9-0, in six innings. SU’s scoring started at the end of the second inning when freshman Lailoni Mayfield grounded out to first base, driving junior Bryce Holmgren home.

Holmgren scored again in the fifth inning, joining Alicia Hansen and Gabby Teran in the frame’s scoring. Hansen and Teran also scored the final two runs of the game when Holmgren singled in the middle of SU’s at-bats in the top of the sixth. Mayfield, Toni Martin and Sammy Fernandez were the other SU players to score against the Patriots.

AnnaMarie Gatti started in the circle for the Orange. After Gatti allowed four walks and one strikeout in the first inning, sophomore Alexa Romero came in. Romero struck out 11 batters and walked three in the last five innings of the game. She let up one hit in the bottom of the fourth.

The Monmouth game reached the end of seven innings tied 2-2, going into an eighth inning where Monmouth would score a run and win the game, 3-2.

Monmouth scored its first two runs in the top of the second inning off a single. SU’s Neli Casares-Maher tripled in the bottom of the second, sending Holmgren home. She scored off the next at-bat on a wild pitch to tie the game.

No one scored again until the eighth inning when an RBI double by Monmouth scored the game-winning run.

Gatti started the Monmouth game and pitched the first three innings. Miranda Hearn came in at the top of the fourth and stayed in until the fifth when Romero came in. By the top of the eighth inning, Romero reached 10 strikeouts for the second time in two games.