Softball Masterful in Opening Season Doubleheader
By: Anthony Vasquez
Citrus TV Softball Beat Reporter
MONROE, La – The first two games of the regular season could not start off any better for SU Softball as they take each leg of the doubleheader in convincing fashion.
In the early game, Mississippi Valley State was no match for anything as the ‘Cuse roll to a 9-2 victory.
Texas transfer Ariana Adams took the ball as the opening day starter and pitched like the ace she was tabbed to be heading into this season. She tossed 7 hitless innings with 8 strikeouts to just two walks.
Syracuse’s bats helped the cause as they tallied 11 hits while its five stolen bases overwhelmed the Delta Devils.
Cleanup hitter Angel Jasso charted three base knocks, two RBIs, and even a swiped bag. Paris Woods provided some bottom of the order pop thanks to two hits and a couple more RBIs.
The second game was an even bigger mismatch as the Orange hunted down and embarrassed Southern 22-0.
SU clobbered its way to 14 first inning runs and seven more in the second. By then, the contest was all but over.
Power was the name of the game in the night cap as the Orange flexed its muscles with homers by Neli Casares-Maher, Jude Padilla, and Kelly Breen. The trio joined Jasso and Carli Campbell as players with 4 RBIs.
Jasso hammered a homer of her own into the Louisiana night, but she also did something ball players only dream of doing … Hitting for the cycle.
The slugging sophomore checked every box in the hits category while knocking in four and scoring 3. She went 7-9 with six RBIs and five runs scored over her two starts.
To add to her eyepopping day, she laced a two-run triple and clobbered a solo shot to left in the same inning.
Every starter recorded a hit and only two batters struck out the entire game.
Inside the circle, Summer Clark recorded her first career win by hurling three scoreless with three punchies sprinkled in.
Lindsey Hendrix shoved to the tune of two hitless innings before the mercy rule ended the game in the fifth.
With the way Southern played, Clark and Hendrix probably would get the same outcome if they pitched with their eyes closed.
SU will spend the night in Monroe as another doubleheader against Morehead State and SIU Edwardsville is still in the cards.
Even though the level of competition will take a step up Saturday, there’s no doubt today’s game showed what Syracuse is capable of as ACC play lurks in the shadows.
