A Freshman Breakout, and Two More Victories at the Columbus Classic.
By Cole Purvis | @Cole_Purvis
COLUMBUS, GA – Syracuse softball’s record is still without a blemish, as the Orange won both games of its doubleheader on day two of the Columbus Classic in Georgia. SU played the exact same teams as yesterday, with similar results: a 12-1 mercy rule win over Tennessee Tech, and an 8-2 win over Long Island University.
Game 1
It was a modest start for the Orange, who led 1-0 going into the third inning.
Freshman Kaimi Tulua, who was making her first start of the season, laced a 2-RBI single to center field, allowing catcher Laila Morales-Alves and shortstop Kelly Breen to cross home plate to make it a crooked number in the inning for the Orange. Next at bat, Peyton Schemmer’s sacrifice fly scored Angie Ramos, who had advanced to third on Tulua’s hit. SU continued to keep the line moving, as senior Tessa Galipeau hit a 2-RBI double that scored Taylor Posner and Kate Dorazio in the same inning. The big inning put the Orange in prime position to lock up a win.
And that they did. Tulua continued to rake, with another 2-RBI hit in the fourth inning to make it 9-0. With that, we were on mercy rule watch.
The Orange would continue to run the basepaths with ease and extend the lead to 12.
TTU would get one run to its name in the fourth, when Julie Martin scored on a wild pitch.
Juniors Julianna Verni and Jackie Pengel combined for a shutout. In four innings of work, Verni allowed four hits. In one frame, Pengel gave up none. The mercy rule states that if a team is winning by eight or more runs after the fifth inning, the game ends, so after five innings of play, we had a final.
Game 2
Syracuse looked to replicate yesterday’s 10-1 win over Long Island, and although things were a bit harder this time, the Orange still conquered, 8-2.
George Washington transfer Rose Cano started the game, tossing four innings, giving up one run. Madison Knight, who dominated Tennessee Tech yesterday, finished the deal, throwing three scoreless.
Offensively, Syracuse got after it early and often, leading 3-0 after the first inning. Kaimi Tulua, Angie Ramos, and Tessa Galipeau had RBI.
Long Island put up a fight, as SU gave up the most runs to an opponent of the season, even if it was just 2 runs. Sharks’ sophomore Kaylee Clarkson hit a solo shot in the third inning, and junior Alyssa Garcia hit an RBI single in the fourth.
Fast forward to the fifth, with the score 5-2, the freshman put an exclamation point on her day. Tulua blasted one over the wall in left-center. Next at bat, Angie Ramos homered, making that two consecutive days of back-to-back homers for SU.
Tulua would collect another RBI later with a groundout that scored Breen. The freshman tallied 7 RBI between both games combined.
SU extended the best record in program history, moving to 9-0. It can hit double-digit wins already if it beats Army tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the Orange’s final game of the Columbus Classic.
For live updates of that game, and for coverage all season, follow @Cole_Purvis and @CitrusTVSports on X.
