No. 15 Kentucky Runs Wild in Run-Rule Win Over Syracuse
By Tom Russo
CitrusTV Softball Beat Reporter
LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the second consecutive game, Syracuse (8-14, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) failed to play more than four and a half innings, as the run rule shortened another game for the Orange.
After falling 8-0 in five innings to Colorado State (17-4, 0-0 Mountain West) on Sunday, Syracuse was absolutely smoked by No. 15 Kentucky (17-7, 3-0 Southeastern) 13-0 in five frames today. The baker’s dozen came by way of two five-run innings, the first and the third.
It started immediately in the bottom of the first with a leadoff single, then the starter Miranda Hearn hit a batter before the first run came in on an RBI single from Abbey Cheek.
Hearn then recorded the only out she would get all game on a fly out to right. Hearn would walk the next batter, give up a two-run double to the left field wall, and walk the bases loaded before being relieved by Sophie Dandola.
Dandola exacerbated the problem by walking the next two batters, capping a five-run first during which 11 Wildcats came to the plate despite registering only three hits in the frame.
Kentucky added two more in the second, including an unearned run on an error committed by Dandola.
The runs kept coming in the third as Kentucky opened with three consecutive doubles, followed by a two-run single to get three more runs on the board. After a sacrifice fly it looked like Dandola would limit the damage, but Katie Reed would launch a moonshot to left to add one more run, capping the second five-run inning of the day.
Yet it still was not over, as the Wildcats scored at least one run in every inning they came to the plate with a run-scoring groundout in the fourth. Run number 13 came curtesy of the reserves, as head coach Rachel Lawson emptied her bench in the blowout.
When it was all said and done the Wildcats posted 13 runs on 12 hits, and they did it in only four innings, as they didn’t even bat in the fifth.
The questions around the Syracuse pitching staff appear to remain unanswered as the team will enter conference play this weekend. The Orange will stay in the Bluegrass State, as they will head an hour and a half west to begin a three-game set with Louisville (17-7, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) on Friday.
twrusso@syr.edu ǀ @TomRusso24
