Syracuse Takes Down Elon
By Sam Rothman
Syracuse softball (13-7) grabbed its thirteenth win of the season as it defeated Elon (13-9) 4-2 on Tuesday. Bryce Holmgren and Alicia Hansen led the charge for the Orange, each tallying two runs. On the mound, Alexa Romero gave up just two hits and retired thirteen batters for a new career high in strikeouts.
The Orange jumped out to a 2-0 lead right out of the gate. Alicia Hansen opened the inning with a single and stole second on the following play. Bryce Holmgren followed with another single and stolen base. Hansen then ran home on the play to take the 1-0 lead. However, with just one out, Syracuse wasn’t done. Holmgren advanced to third on a passed ball and scored off of Gabby Teran’s RBI single for the 2-0 advantage.
In the bottom of the inning, Elon tried to answer right back with runners on second and third. Just minutes before first pitch, Romero was named ACC Co-Pitcher of the Week after throwing her second no-hitter of the season. With just one out, the sophomore pitcher proved her title and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to get Syracuse out of the jam.
The Orange didn’t strike again until the fifth inning. Just as they did in the first, Hansen and Holmgren crossed home and added a pair of insurance runs for Syracuse. With Holmgren on second and Hansen on third, freshman Lailoni Mayfield drove home both runners with a 2-RBI double to extend Syracuse’s lead to 4-0.
Entering the final three outs, the Phoenix looked to rally and spoil the Orange’s shutout. After being fanned by Romero twice, Ally Repko solved the sophomore ace and hit a homerun, driving in Callie Horn as well to cut Syracuse’s lead in half. However, that would be it for Elon. As the Phoenix tried to complete the comeback, Romero shut the door. Through six innings, Romero had already tied her career best in strikeouts, tallying twelve on the day. With one out left in the contest, Romero struck out the last batter she faced. The sophomore secured the 4-2 win for the Orange.
Syracuse returns to ACC play this weekend with a three-game series at Virginia starting on Friday, Mar. 16 at 6 p.m.
