Alexa Romero has season-worst outing in 9-1 loss to Georgia Tech

Alexa Romero recorded her worst statistical start of her season on Sunday in Atlanta, Georgia. Syracuse’s ace allowed six earned runs — a season-high — and couldn’t get out of the second inning. Romero lost control of her pitches, which put Georgia Tech runners on base for the middle of the Yellow Jackets’ order. 

In 1.2 innings, Romero’s six earned runs came from four hits and four walks. Georgia Tech (30-23, 11-10 Atlantic Coast) added three more runs off reliever Miranda Hearn to rout Syracuse (20-28, 8-13), 9-1. With the loss, Syracuse has lost five of its last six contests, two of which came to last-place Pittsburgh at home. 

Romero struggled with her control from the first pitch. She walked the first batter she faced, hit the next one with a pitch and loaded the bases with another walk. Three runs scored in the inning on an RBI double and a wild pitch. 

In the next inning, Romero allowed a three-run home run to Tricia Awald, who went 2-for-3 with five RBIs. Romero, who moved into second-place in Syracuse history in strikeouts earlier this weekend, walked the next batter before exiting. Romero’s ERA jumped from 3.08 to 3.35 for the season in the loss. 

The poor outing is part of a downward trend for Romero — in her last 17 innings pitched, she’s allowed 17 earned runs. In Saturday’s 8-7 loss to the Yellow Jackets, Romero failed to record an out in relief, and she allowed the game-winning walk-off single. In the first game of the weekend series, she allowed five earned runs in a 5-4 loss. 

Romero’s last quality start was on April 19 — four starts ago — when she admitted she didn’t have her best stuff in a 10-0 win over Pitt. 

 After Romero allowed five earned runs to Pitt on April 21, her second start in three days, she and head coach Shannon Doepking said they weren’t concerned about fatigue. Romero has pitched 133.2 innings this season with four games remaining, short of last year’s 169.2 innings. 

Syracuse’s lone run on Sunday came in the top of the fifth inning, when shortstop Neli Casares-Maher turned on a 3-1 pitch and sent a home run over the left field fence. The solo shot was the sophomore’s fifth of the season. 

But Casares-Maher’s homer was one of just three hits for the Orange, and the game ended after the fifth inning due to the eight-run mercy rule.