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With an 8-2 lead entering the seventh inning, Julianna Verni entered in relief and was immediately helped by a miraculous diving putout by Rebecca Clyde to exit the inning. She followed that up by striking out Alyssa Dybacz.

But it wasn’t easy, as the Dolphins loaded the bases on two walks and a single. All of a sudden, the pressure mounted. Audrey Benderski hit a routine fly ball, but the combination of a poorly run route and wind was enough to cause Madelyn Lopez to drop the ball in right field, scoring all three runs.

Brandi Feeney followed with a single, bringing Sydney Nesci to the dish, representing the tying run. She missed a home run by just a few feet yet salvaged a double. Brooke Nicolaos scored but Benderski’s pinch runner, Elaina Kassap, was thrown out at home on a perfect relay by Makenzie Foster to seal a victory for SU.

After dropping a weekend series to Pitt, Syracuse (23-20, 5-13 Atlantic Coast Conference) bounced back by sweeping its doubleheader against Le Moyne (14-29, 5-10 Northeast Conference). The Orange were led by strong starting pitching and steady offense, winning 8-6 in game one and 6-1 in game two.

On SU starter Britney Lewinski’s first offering of the day, Dybacz hit a line drive to center and Angel Jasso made a diving catch to get the first out. Lewinski retired the next two batters to end the inning.

Syracuse struck first in the bottom of the first frame when Dolphins’ starter Laura Bennett surrendered a two-out double to Taylor Posner. Madison Knight followed by sending a single to the right-center gap, scoring Posner.

After getting two quick outs, Le Moyne loaded the bases in the top of the third. But Lewinski struck out Frankie Larobardiere swinging to escape the jam.

“When I don’t walk them and I’m throwing strikes, I’m not getting hit really hard,” Lewinski said postgame. “So if I just go at them, I’m going to get out of it.”

Lewinski got herself out of another threat in the top of the fourth with a runner on third. She forced a strike out and fly out to leave the runner stranded.

The Orange put their second run on the board in the bottom of the fifth, with a no-doubt home run from Olivia Pess for her first of the year. Two batters later, Clyde sent another one out of the yard to left field, extending SU’s lead to 3-0.

Le Moyne clawed back in the top of the sixth when Lewinski walked the bases loaded with one out. She struck out Feeney, but Nesci launched a double to the left-center field gap, scoring two. Shannon Gavigan grounded out to end the inning, but the Dolphins cut SU’s lead to just one.

Jasso punched right back, leading off the bottom of the frame with another long home run. SU continued to threaten, putting runners on second and third. Foster and Pess delivered back-to-back RBIs, then Kelly Breen hit a sacrifice fly. Clyde followed with another RBI single, blowing the game open for an 8-2 SU advantage and leading to an eventual 8-6 win.

“It was an adjustment at the plate,” Pess said. “Before (the fifth inning) we were up in the box. But we noticed the spin (of the ball) was getting on us quick and we needed to let the ball travel a bit.”

Jessie DiPasquale started in the circle in game two and began by leaving a runner stranded at second in the first. In the bottom of the inning, Jasso created a scoring chance for SU using her speed. She bunted for a single, then stole second and third. Knight walked, but Clyde struck out swinging to end the chance.

Syracuse threatened again in the bottom of the second, though, as Pess and Angie Ramos began the inning with singles and were both moved over by a Peyton Schemmer sacrifice bunt. This brought up freshman catcher Taylor Davison, who grounded out to short, yet Pess bolted for home and scored on a collision at home plate with catcher Kassap.

After a Foster single loaded the bases, Jasso drove in two more on a single to left. Two batters later, Knight drove in another pair. Then, Clyde hit a sacrifice fly, giving Syracuse an early 6-0 cushion.

“It takes the pressure off of a pitcher,” DiPasquale said of the six-run lead. “Just feeling calm and being able to go at hitters.”

Le Moyne went away quickly in the third and fourth, only getting one runner on base. Though, the Dolphins loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning with just one out. Larobardiere followed with a walk, gifting the Dolphins their first run of the game. Yet DiPasquale limited the damage, getting McKenzie Bergdoll to pop out and Benderski to ground out to third.

DiPasquale finished off her complete game in the seventh. She gave up one run on six hits, while walking three and striking out eight.

“Just go at them and just remember how talented we are,” DiPasquale said. “If we go out there with our best stuff, and we work together, I think we’re just as good as anyone in this conference.”

Published on April 24, 2024 at 7:44 pm

Contact Nick: nsjepson@syr.edu