Syracuse loses on walk-off, wins 12-1 in split at Tarleton Invitational
Megan Hendricks | Photo Editor
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Down 2-0 in the top of the seventh against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Syracuse needed to tie the game to avoid a second consecutive loss after a 6-0 start to the season. With one out, pinch hitters Makena Fidler and Ryan Gallegos each got on base to set up runners on first and third for Yamila Evans. Evans doubled to right center, scoring Fidler and Gallegos and tying the game. The Orange had runners at first and third again with two outs, but Kelly Breen grounded out to end the inning.
It didn’t take long for the Islanders to respond. Jaquelin Garza led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run, the second game in a row the Orange have lost from a walk-off home run. Both walk-off home runs have been off Ariana Adams.
Friday night, the Orange led 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh against Tarleton State. After Brittany Coe tied the game with a home run, the Orange sent Adams in in relief to try to send the game to extra innings. Adams allowed a home run to Miranda Pruitt to lose 2-1.
Syracuse (7-2) rebounded in its second game of the day on Saturday against Prairie View A&M with a 12-1 win behind a two-hit, six-inning performance by Summer Clark. After going undefeated at the Best on the Bayou Classic last weekend, SU is 2-2 in the Tarleton softball invitational with a game against Alabama State still to play.
On Friday afternoon against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Syracuse won 3-1 as seven different batters recorded a hit and Clark pitched her first career complete game. But on Saturday, the Orange were not able to match their offensive display from the day before.
The Islanders opened the scoring in the first inning on a Sydney Hoyt RBI single. For the first time during the weekend, the Orange faced a deficit.
Syracuse threatened to score in the third inning by loading the bases with two outs, but Angel Jasso grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning. The Islanders put a runner at third base in both the third and fourth innings but couldn’t convert either opportunity. In the fifth, they added another run to their advantage when Pal Egan singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Hoyt.
After back-to-back games of five or fewer hits, the Orange bounced back against Prairie View A&M with 15 hits. Syracuse opened the scoring in the top of the first on a double steal by Tessa Galipeau and Carli Campbell and an RBI single by Jasso.
Prairie View A&M’s Maya Barnes led off in the bottom half of the inning with a walk, advanced to third on back-to-back groundouts and then scored on a passed ball to tie the score at 1. But between the second and fifth innings, the Panthers did not advance a runner past first base. After a nine-strikeout performance on Friday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Clark struck out only three but was just as effective. Clark allowed just a pair of singles and four walks and has maintained a 1.11 ERA, winning every time she’s pitched.
Heading into the sixth inning, the Orange held a 6-1 lead but added six more runs to end the game an inning early because of the mercy rule. The Panthers made two of their three errors in the sixth inning, costing them two unearned runs.
Published on February 19, 2022 at 6:56 pm
Contact Connor: cpignate@syr.edu