Syracuse Softball Rakes its Way to Midweek Win

By Anthony Vasquez I CitrusTV Softball Beat Reporter I @Ant_Vasquez3

SYRACUSE, NY – After some sudden schedule changes earlier in the week, Syracuse Softball finally played its final midweek game of the season. The Orange mashed its way to a convincing 6-2 win against Niagara Thursday afternoon.

The hitting may have only tallied six hits, but it was the damage done with them that proved important throughout.

Neli Casares-Maher slugged two homers and drove in three runs while Olivia Pess came out of nowhere to smash a key two-run homer.

Paris Woods stole a base while Angel Jasso tried but failed to add to her elite ACC tally.

Meanwhile on the pitching side, Coach Doepking sticked to the same script by limiting her pitchers to a short leash. Ariana Adams faced just 12 hitters and was elite throughout her 3.1 innings of work. The trusty veteran only allowed two hits and a solo shot on top of her four strikeouts.

Lindsey Hendrix backed up Adams’ great work by only allowing two base runners through 2.2 productive innings. Kaia Oliver played closer by keeping the Purple Eagles at bay.

Even though this was a routine win, there are still positive takeaways for the ‘Cuse. The new pitching by committee strategy employed by Doepking is starting to work in a single game sample size but has yet to create series wins.

Syracuse will get to have a week and a half off before its biggest series of the year against North Carolina. S.U. will need to win the first two games of the series to jump the Tar Heels and backdoor its way into the ACC tournament. Sunday’s series finale against UNC is slated as a non-conference game so the ‘Cuse will need to be on its A-game Friday and Saturday.