Syracuse Sweeps Binghamton
By James Groh
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse swept SUNY Binghamton in 2-0 in a Wednesday night double header.
Syracuse put up 19 runs and recorded 14 strikeouts en route to its double victory. Binghamton couldn’t keep up with the home team’s offense. The Bearcats only recorded seven hits compared to the Orange’s 22. The Orange dominated defensively too. It didn’t give up any errors and allowed only five runs.
Game 1
The first game started out fast. Both the Orange and Bearcats traded back-to-back blows all the way into the 4th inning. With the game tied at 4-4, head coach Mike Bosch put in utility player Sydney O’Hara.
The closer, who had an RBI earlier in the game, struck out the first six batters she saw. She ended the game with nine strikeouts overall.
“I was focusing on attacking the batters, getting ahead in the count, and just hitting my spots really well,” she said.
O’Hara’s contributions wouldn’t end there. She was able to reach third off a single and subsequent error. Afterwards, Bryce Holmgren walked. With runners on the corners, first baseman Faith Cain hit an RBI double bringing O’Hara and Holmgren home for the game-winning runs.
It was no trouble for O’Hara to switch from offense to defense and then back again.
“It’s just kind of the same way just go up there be aggressive pitching and hitting wise,” she explained.
The Orange would take the first game 6-4.
Game 2
Syracuse took control of the second game and never let it go. Once again, Syracuse got on the board first in the bottom of the 2nd. This time, it didn’t let the Bearcats get within arms length. SU put up seven more runs in the 3rd. Holmgren started the action with a two run homer. Syracuse would go on to get five more runs that inning during a two out rally.
The Orange scored another four runs in the 4th to seal its first victory of the season by way of the mercy rule.
Binghamton was able to get one run on the board, but that would be it.
At the end of the game, head coach Mike Bosch credited his team’s confidence in its hitting as the key to getting so many runs.
“Once they get a little confidence in the box they kind of feed off each other,” Bosch said. “I think next person up can get you to feel a little better and you saw that kind of play out.”
Shortstop Sammy Fernandez was a large contributor to the Syracuse offense. In the second game she went 2-4 with 4 runs and a RBI single. Also, Holmgren went 2-3 with 2 RBIs and a run.
Syracuse had 10 different players record an hit between both games. The Orange improves its record to 19-12 while Binghamton droped to 9-16.
The Orange plays a three game home series against the Florida State Seminoles starting on Friday at 4 p.m.
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