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Makenzie Foster stepped to the plate with two outs and Kelly Breen on first base. Foster had worked GT’s Chandler Dennis into a full count and knew an ensuing strike was on its way. Foster was ready, smacking the ball into left field for a walk-off double.

In game two of its series against Georgia Tech (23-12, 9-5 Atlantic Coast Conference), Foster’s walk-off double lifted Syracuse (15-14, 3-8 ACC) past the Yellow Jackets for its third conference win of the season.

Before the conference matchup began, the game was sent into a weather delay due to temperature conditions on the field. Both teams packed their bags and loaded onto the buses until they were notified that the game would be played.

“One thing that coach tells us a lot is that both teams are dealing with the cold and these circumstances,” SU outfielder Olivia Pess said postgame. “It’s just (about) the idea of doing a job and staying locked in.”

Ella Edgmon flew out in the first for GT, but Madison Dobbins reached first on a walk. Just as they had done in game one of the series against the Orange, the Yellow Jackets got ahead in counts early. Mallorie Black laced a single to the right-field gap. Sara Beth Allen then hit a sacrifice flyout to send Dobbins home.

Tiffany Domingue added on with a base hit that rolled past the diving reach of Breen at shortstop. Black scored on the play to put Georgia Tech in front 2-0.

The Orange needed a response to GT’s offensive burst, and mistakes from its defense allowed them to strike back. Angel Jasso walked, and Madelyn Lopez was hit by a pitch. An ensuing error by Domingue allowed the Orange to load the bases. Breen wasted no time, thrashing a single to score Jasso. Laila Morales-Alves pulled the game even again with a single to right that scored Posner. Lopez scored on the play as well to put SU in front for the first time in the series.

A sacrifice fly by Pess and a Madison Knight single capped off a first frame that saw Syracuse record five runs on three hits to jump out in front 5-2.

In the top of the second, Syracuse retired Georgia Tech in order. The Orange were held scoreless in the bottom of the inning by a strong comeback inning from Makayla Coffield, who struck out Jasso and forced the next two SU batters to fly and ground out.

After a silent third inning from both sides, Domingue lasered Britney Lewinski’s pitch over the wall for a solo home run. But the Orange kept the Yellow Jackets from further shifting the momentum in their favor. Lewinski forced the next three GT batters out. But the Yellow Jackets refused to go away.

With Jessie DiPasquale on the mound, walks from Gracie Hillman, Dobbins and Black loaded the bases for Georgia Tech. Domingue capitalized with all three runners on base. She nailed a single to right field over the heads of Foster and Rebecca Clyde that scored Dobbins and Hillman to tie the contest at 5-5.

”It’s on us on the offensive side to respond,” Pess said. “As a group, it’s about coming back on offense and getting the job done for our pitchers.”

After a hitless sixth inning, the game entered the seventh inning with both sides searching for the tie-breaking run. The Orange needed a hero, and it turned out to be Foster.

With Morales-Alves on second base and one out, the freshman slammed a walk-off double through the left field gap, sealing a thrilling 6-5 win for the Orange.

“Our freshman Kenzie did an incredible job today of battling and competing,” Pess said. “We play as a whole and we play as a team.”

Published on March 29, 2024 at 10:01 pm

Contact Matthew: mgray06@syr.edu