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With Syracuse trailing 5-4 in the top of the seventh, it had runners on second and third base with one out. On a routine ground ball from Laila Morales-Alves back to the mound, pinch runner Kate Dorazio ran on contact and was thrown out by a mile at the plate.

SU star two-way player Madison Knight had a chance to tie the game, but she grounded out to short, as the Orange dropped their first game of the season.

Despite its 5-4 loss to Coastal Carolina (1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt), Syracuse (1-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) began its 25th season with a split in the Kickin’ Chicken Classic, defeating Bucknell (1-1, 0-0 Patriot League) 3-0 in the first game of Friday’s doubleheader. Against the Bison, SU pitcher Lindsey Hendrix pitched six scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out four batters.

The Orange were the Bison’s second game of their doubleheader, after a 7-0 shellacking of George Washington in the first game.

Hendrix, a veteran left-hander, handled the Bison handily in the first two innings, but the Orange couldn’t score in the bottom of both frames despite getting into scoring position.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Bison replaced starting pitcher Hunter Vestal with Sarah Zimmerman for her collegiate debut — the Orange struck quickly against the freshman. After back-to-back hits and a double steal from Mackenzie Foster and Angel Jasso, a Tessa Galipeau sac fly got SU on the board.

After Hendrix retired the Bison in the top of the fourth, Olivia Pess registered her first RBI of the season to extend Syracuse’s lead to 2-0. In the fifth inning, the Orange capitalized on Jasso’s lead-off double when Kelly Breen notched an RBI single to score their third run. Despite a scoring threat from Bucknell in the sixth, Hendrix’s shutout stayed intact and Seminole State transfer Britney Lewinski closed the game in the seventh.

Fresh off its first win of the season, Syracuse immediately applied pressure in game two against Coastal Carolina, but it failed to capitalize on bases loaded opportunity after Morales-Alves flew out and Knight struck out.

Knight got the nod in the circle for SU, and would immediately redeem herself from her bases-loaded strikeout. Despite walking two batters, Knight struck out three in the opening frame.

Syracuse continued to create traffic on the basepaths in the top of the second, with Taylor Posner and Foster reaching on singles. Unlike the first inning, SU took advantage, with Jasso clobbering SU’s first home run of the season to dead center, putting Syracuse in front 3-0.

But the Chanticleers responded in the bottom of the frame. A two-out, two-run double from Keith got Coastal right back into the game. Riley Zana then doubled on an opposite-field drive down the left-field line, tying the game 3-3.

SU answered right back in the third. Galipeau and Morales-Alves each singled to start the inning then advanced a base on a deep fly out from Knight. With two runners in scoring position and one out, Coastal pitcher Raelee Brabham fired a wild pitch that scored Galipeau. The Orange took a 4-3 lead, but couldn’t tack on any more insurance runs.

Knight held Coastal scoreless in the third, but after surrendering three runs on five hits and three walks, SU replaced her with Lewinski to begin the bottom of the fourth after failing to score in the top half of the inning.

With two out and a runner on first, Syracuse’s lead evaporated, as Iyanla De Jesus hit a two-run homer giving the Chanticleers a 5-4 lead. Despite knocking Brabham out in the fifth inning, SU failed to score against reliever Nicolette Picone.

Lewinski weathered the storms of a Coastal threat in the bottom of the frame, but on a 3-2 count with two outs struck out Clara Hudgens to end the inning. The teams each went scoreless in the sixth, and after Syracuse couldn’t score in the top of the seventh, the Chanticleers closed out a tight 5-4 win.

Published on February 9, 2024 at 9:47 pm

Contact Nick: nsjepson@syr.edu