Syracuse Picks Up Two Wins on Sunday
By Sam Rothman
Syracuse softball (10-6) swept the second day of the Patriot Classic with wins against Monmouth (4-3) and George Mason (4-7). The Orange grabbed a five-run advantage in both wins, defeating the Hawks 6-1 and the Patriots 11-6 on Sunday.
After its loss to Monmouth in extra innings on Saturday, Syracuse wasted no time to get on the board in its rematch with the Hawks. Sammy Fernandez led the charge in the first inning and hit a triple in Syracuse’s first at-bat. Fernandez then scored on a Monmouth error to give SU the early 1-0 advantage.
Syracuse did not cross home again until the fifth inning, when three different players scored for the Orange. Freshman Lailoni Mayfield started the inning off with a single, and Gianna Carideo reached on a Monmouth throwing error. Toni Martin’s 2-RBI double drove home both Carideo and Mayfield, extending the Orange’s lead to 4-0.
Toni Martin continued her strong play in the seventh inning, scoring off of Alicia Hansen’s RBI double. With one out remaining, Syracuse wasn’t done yet. Alicia Hansen ran home on a Monmouth throwing error to give Syracuse the 6-0 advantage.
Sophomore Alexa Romero was back on the mound after her 21-strikeout performance on Saturday. Just as it looked as though Romero would earn her second shutout of the weekend, Sam Tomassetti ruined the no-hitter with a double in the bottom of the seventh. Amber Wozniack then singled to center field and drove home Tomassetti for Monmouth’s first run of the day. However, that would be it for the Hawks and their comeback fell short as Syracuse came away with the 6-1 win.
The victory marked Syracuse’s 500th win in program history, and the Orange looked to make it 501 wins in its second game against George Mason.
Once again, Sammy Fernandez started the scoring for the Orange, and Syracuse jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Fernandez ran home again in the following inning off of Bryce Holmgren’s 2-RBI double, which also drove in Alicia Hansen. Carideo and Holmgren both crossed home in the second to cap off a four-run inning for Syracuse, extending its lead to 5-0.
Gabby Teran and Bryce Holmgren added two more runs in the fourth, capitalizing on a Monmouth error. The Orange headed into the bottom of the inning with a seven run advantage, but the Hawks responded with a four-run performance to cut into Syracuse’s lead. With one out remaining in the fourth, Baylee Douglas replaced AnnaMarie Gatti in the circle and struck out the first batter she faced. Syracuse escaped the inning still leading 7-4.
Lailoni Mayfield scored in the fifth, and with bases loaded in the sixth, Mayfield tripled and drove home Casares-Maher, Teran, and Holmgren. Mayfield’s 3-RBI triple helped Syracuse regain the seven-run advantage and the Orange led 11-4 heading into the bottom of the inning.
However, that would quickly change as George Mason brought home two runners on RBI walks to make it a five-run game. The Patriots reached first and second in the seventh, but they couldn’t get it done and Syracuse grabbed its second win against George Mason in the tournament.
The Orange scored a season-high 11 runs in the matchup. Syracuse looks to carry this momentum as it begins ACC play against Virginia Tech next weekend.
