Syracuse softball misses ACC Tournament after winless weekend
Syracuse softball misses ACC Tournament
Orange end season on low note after getting swept by Golden Bears in final series of the year.
During the final weekend of the regular season, Syracuse Softball had to win at least one game against California to clinch a spot in the ACC tournament. After sweeping Boston College the previous weekend, the Orange carried a three-game win streak.
Syracuse shutout in opening game
Golden Bear pitchers Anna Reimers and Annabel Teperson combined for a four-hitter and shutout the Orange for the 7-0 win in the first game of the series. Despite striking out just one Orange batter, the duo allowed just seven baserunners for the entire game.
Madison Knight opened the series for the Orange in the circle. The junior hoped for another stellar performance after dominating BC.
After coasting through the first two inning, Knight ran into trouble in the third. The Golden Bears scored four runs in the inning thanks to four hits to begin the inning. The junior pitched the entire game, giving up nine hits and walking five batters.
Doubleheader ends in heartbreak
The Orange had one more chance to pull away with a win during Saturday’s doubleheader. Unfortunately, SU dropped both games, ultimately ending its rollercoaster of a season. In addition, the defeats came on senior day, and six players ended their careers in heartbreaking fashion.
“It just sucks,” head coach Shannon Doepking stated after the second game. “Nobody wants to end their career here, but they really have been the foundation for this program, so super super appreciative for them.”
The back of the infield was decorated with the numbers of the senior athletes competing in their final game at Skytop, and their college tenures. Those that were honored were infielders Tessa Galipeau, Kate Dorazio, and Kelly Breen. Utilities Angie Ramos and Taylor Posner were celebrated, as well as catcher Laila Morales-Alves. Each of them have made meaningful contributions on and off the field, but the Golden Bears had to spoil their special day.
The first game ended in a 9-0 mercy rule in the sixth inning. Julianna Verni got the start for The Orange, and she struggled throughout the game. Through five innings, she gave up eight hits and six walks, which resulted in six runs.
On the other side, SU had six hits the entire game, all singles. Shortstop Jadyn Burney had a three-hit day, but even her effort was not enough to put any runs on the board. Syracuse had multiple chances to score throughout the game, as Cal only had a 3-0 lead for the majority. However, the bats broke loose for the Golden Bears in the 5th and 6th innings, and The Orange lost their chance to comeback.
The second game was a must-win if Syracuse wanted to extend its season. Like the previous game, Cal had the lead for the majority, but errors in the hot corner diminished it. SU scored a run in the 6th, and two mistakes by Nailyn Marshall allowed it to tie the game at two.
Knight made her second appearance in the series and pitched the full 11 innings. She seemed to have rebounded from her start on Friday. She kept the Orange in the game until Cal retook the lead on a two-run home run from Lagi Quiroga.
Despite Ramos getting on base in the bottom of the inning, the Orange failed to scored and Cal to the final game of the season 4-2. SU did not let its foot off the gas until the final out, which left Doepking very impressed.
“We played softball,” Doepking said. “We started off wrong, and we are going to have to have two facets of our game go in order for us to have a chance. I think that we did not have that this weekend. I asked this team ‘if we are going to go down, it is not going to be without a fight?’, and I think that was the fight that we wanted to see all weekend.”
The offseason has officially started, and Syracuse has a long road ahead to try to make the tournament next season. SU lost a ton of conference series, so in order to clinch a spot next year, it has to win meaningful games. Doepking hope that the Orange can improve after this season, even though she lost a few beloved seniors on a bad note.