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Following two insurance runs which gave Syracuse a 4-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning, outfielder Angel Jasso stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.

On the first pitch of the at bat, she laced a single up the middle, bringing Madelyn Lopez and Laila Morales-Alves across the plate to extend the Orange’s lead to 6-1, capping off a four-run sixth inning.

Fueled by its sixth inning dominance, Syracuse (13-9, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) topped Virginia (15-9, 3-6 ACC) 6-1 on the road for its first 2024 conference victory. After being shut out in all three games of its games versus No. 6 Duke two weeks ago, SU has now won five straight games.

Across its four wins against Le Moyne, Norfolk State Quinnipiac and Norfolk State again, Syracuse scored first in each game, which it did so again Friday. In their last outing at Norfolk State Tuesday, the Orange tallied a season-high five stolen bases. SU’s base running success continued against Virginia.

Outfielder Jasso led off the game lacing a single to right field before stealing second. With Jasso on third and one out, Taylor Posner — who had just reached base — stole second giving the Orange two runners in scoring position.

In a prime RBI spot, Rebecca Clyde hit a comebacker to UVA pitcher Eden Bigham. Bigham tried forcing an out by running from the circle to first but dropped the ball before she could tag the bag. The miscue gave Jasso and Posner enough time to round the bases for a pair of unearned runs, which gave Syracuse a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first.

Unlike SU’s last few opponents, the Cavaliers quickly responded. Jade Hylton slammed a double into left center field. After she reached second, the Orange made a throwing error allowing Hylton to advance to third.

Directly after the sequence, the contest was sent into a weather delay due to heavy rain.

Returning from an almost two-hour pause in the action, UVA’s Bella Cabral was unfazed at the plate. She knocked a triple into left field, bringing Hylton in to cut Syracuse’s lead to 2-1. Despite the RBI, SU pitcher Madison Knight escaped further damage as the Orange retained their 2-1 lead.

Though both teams scored in the first inning, neither side recorded a hit through the next three innings. Bingham struck out four hitters in that time while Knight struck out three, as both sophomore pitchers dominated the opposing lineups.

Between SU and UVA, only three of the 23 all-time contests were decided by one run. With calm and calculated pitching from both sides, this one looked as though it would become the fourth.

In the top of the fifth Breen broke Syracuse’s offensive drought with a double. But flyouts and popouts from Jasso and Makenzie Foster kept the score at 2-1 while Knight’s fourth consecutive scoreless frame held the score 2-1 heading into the sixth inning.

As she has done numerous times this season for SU, Posner gave the Orange the spark they needed leading off the sixth inning, hammering a home run. With her team-leading eighth homer, Posner extended the lead to 3-1.

After a Tessa Galipeau walk, a sacrifice bunt by Clyde allowed pinch runner Kate Dorazio to slide into second. Morales-Alves tacked on a single and Lopez walked to load the bases for the Orange.

Bigham then lost control and hit Kelly Breen, which sent Dorazio home, ballooning SU’s lead to 4-1, ending her day in the circle. With two outs, Mikayla Houge tried to stop the bleeding for UVA, but Jasso knocked in two runs growing SU’s advantage to five.

In the bottom of the frame, Cabral once again got UVA on base with a double, then secured third off a Syracuse throwing error. Abby Weaver then walked, giving Virginia its best scoring chance since the first inning. Yet SU escaped the jam, keeping Virginia off the board.

Syracuse was held scoreless in the seventh inning before Knight closed out a complete game in the bottom of the inning, sealing a 6-1 SU win in Charlottesville.

Published on March 15, 2024 at 9:24 pm

Contact Matthew: mgray06@syr.edu