Syracuse’s offense quiet again in 4-2 loss to Colgate

After Duke swept Syracuse in a doubleheader on Saturday to take the weekend series, SU head coach Shannon Doepking said the Orange lacked fight at the plate and didn’t make the necessary adjustments to the Blue Devils’ pitching staff.

On Wednesday, Syracuse’s offense went quiet again. Colgate (18-21, 3-6 Patriot) jumped out to an early lead on Peyton Schnackenberg, and SU (18-23, 7-8 Atlantic Coast) dropped its third-straight game, 4-2, to the Raiders. The medley of injuries of late have forced multiple players to shift around the field and the lineup.

Lailoni Mayfield, who has played the majority of the season at third base, shifted to center field in place of the injured Toni Martin. Jessica Skladal had started in center on Saturday, but she went back to her normal position in left field. Alex Acevedo played third base in place of the injured Hannah Dossett, sliding Anya Gonzalez to first. Despite all of the changes, the Orange mustered just two runs, leaving nine runners on base.

With Sophie Dandola’s absence from the team, Syracuse’s pitching depth is also thin. The Orange turned to Schnackenberg, who lasted just 2.1 innings, allowing four earned runs and eight hits. Miranda Hearn shined in relief, completing the game without allowing another run, but the lead was too big for the lackluster SU offense to overcome.

As Hearn continued to record outs, the Orange did the same at the plate and on the basepaths. With runners on second and third, Syracuse appeared to score its first run on a sacrifice fly, but Acevedo was ruled out after leaving third base early. AJ Kaiser struck out, and SU ended the second scoreless.

In the fourth, SU had runners on first and second with two outs, but catcher Gianna Carideo grounded out to second. The Orange finally posted a run in the fifth after an Alicia Hansen double, bringing the tying run to the plate with two runners on and two outs. Syracuse stranded both Bryce Holmgren and Hansen as Acevedo popped out in the infield.

Even as the Orange added another in the seventh on a second Hansen double, they failed to convert again. As Acevedo came to the plate as the tying run, she grounded out, and a Kaiser line-out ended the game.

SU returns to Skytop Softball Stadium for a three-game set with Pittsburgh this weekend.