Softball Prevents Loss with Sixth Inning Rally
By Sam Rothman
SYRACUSE, N.Y. —Syracuse led Southern Miss, 4-0, heading into the sixth inning. With Alexa Romero’s strong performance on the mound, it looked as though SU would cruise to the victory. However, the Golden Eagles made it a one-run game in that frame.
Despite Southern Miss’ push, the Orange (2-1) matched the Golden Eagles’ (0-4) offensive outburst with four runs in the sixth, allowing it to come away with an 8-3 win.
After shutting out UMass on Friday, Romero started the contest striking out three players in the first and had seven strikeouts through the third inning.
Romero wasn’t the only one getting it done for the Orange as Syracuse gained momentum from her strong pitching on the mound. Junior Alicia Hansen hit a triple in SU’s first at-bat and was able to score off a wild pitch to give the Orange the 1-0 advantage. Hansen’s triple marked the first of her career.
The Syracuse offense heated up again in the third inning. Bryce Holmgren hit an two-run RBI double to center with one out, putting the Orange up 3-0. Freshman Michala Maciolek’s sacrifice fly drove Holmgren home and SU quickly had a 4-0 lead.
However, the Golden Eagles crawled their way back into the game in the sixth frame. Southern Miss notched three runs with one out in the inning. Freshman Miranda Hearn then replaced Romero on the mound and got Syracuse out of the jam with back-to-back outs. Hearn not only tallied her first career save in the contest but also did it while celebrating her 19th birthday.
Just as the Golden Eagles started making a comeback in the sixth, the Orange also had a dominating inning. Junior Hannah Dossett scored off two throwing errors and Alicia Hansen’s RBI single brought in another., Toni Martin then doubled with runners on first and second after Bryce Holmgren was hit by a pitch. Holmgren and Hansen scored, spoiling Southern Miss’ comeback and giving Syracuse its 8-3 win.
The Orange now heads to the Mary Nutter Classic in Palm Springs, Calif. which takes place from Saturday, February 17 through Monday, February 19.
