10 Hit Day Backs Romero as Orange Take Series at NC State

By Tom Russo

CitrusTV Softball Beat Reporter

RALEIGH, N.C. – On most days, when your starting pitcher gives up two home runs in the first inning, you’re in for a rough day. That was not the case today for the Orange.

Syracuse (17-20, 6-6 Atlantic Coast) survived an early barrage to beat NC State (21-18, 3-9 Atlantic Coast) 5-3 and take two of three from the Wolf Pack to win the series.

Syracuse did strike first, as Gabby Teran turned a lead off single into a run, scoring on a passed ball later in the first.

Alexa Romero got off to a slow start though, as she gave up a solo homer to Sam Russ to lead off the bottom half of the inning for the Wolf Pack. After two strikeouts, Romero gave up a second solo shot to Logan Morris to surrender a 2-1 lead to NC State.

But today the Orange offense had their ace’s back. In the third inning, Alicia Hansen picked up a one-out single. She would come around to score on Alex Acevedo’s RBI single to tie it at 2-2.

In the fifth the Orange loaded the bases and nearly fell victim to a triple play, but instead AJ Kaiser mustered a two-out single to left to drive in Acevedo to take a 3-2 lead. Lailoni Mayfield would score on a wild pitch to make it 4-2.

In the sixth Teran scored on a SAC fly by Hansen to tack on an insurance run and make it 5-2.

Romero would give up one more in the sixth on an RBI single by Randi Farricker, but that was all she would yield.

Romero finished the day with 10 strikeouts, the fourth time this year she has hit double-digit strikeouts, and the second consecutive start in a row. She also picked up her tenth win of the season.  Syracuse has won the last four games Romero has pitched in, including both wins in Raleigh.

The Orange now return home for a midweek doubleheader with Siena (9-14, 2-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic) on Wednesday, starting at 4:00 p.m.

twrusso@syr.eduǀ @TomRusso24