Is Syracuse Softball Coming Back Down to Earth?

By Cole Purvis | @Cole_Purvis

After finishing conference play with a 16-3 mark, Syracuse softball was swept in its first series of conference play this weekend at No. 20 Stanford. Game one was a narrow 4-3 defeat for SU, who nearly came back from being down 4-0. Game two was a 5-1 loss, and game three proved to be the most brutal of them all, as Stanford won 9-0 in six innings via the mercy rule.

Not only was this a big statement made by Stanford, who is playing its first season in the ACC, but it could also be a sign of false hope for SU softball after the best start in program history.

Coming into this week, Syracuse was fourth in the nation in team ERA. As of now, the Orange are all the way down at 14th. SU’s two stars in the circle, Madison Knight and Julianna Verni, looked a little more human out in Palo Alto than they did during non-conference play.

The final game against Stanford was especially concerning, as Syracuse was both blanked on offense and run-ruled for the first time this season. It seemed as if Stanford played its best softball in this game, signs that they got better as the series progressed. Syracuse, on the other hand, seemed to decline in performance throughout the three games. Making adjustments throughout the series is a vital part of succeeding in conference play, but the Orange did not seem to solve the Cardinal in any way out in California this past weekend.

It’s no secret that if you look at SU’s schedule, the non-conference opponents were largely made up of mid-major schools that aren’t expected to be strong this season. The only test coach Shannon Doepking’s squad really had was against then-No. 9 Georgia. Syracuse lost both games against the Bulldogs a couple weeks ago.

It isn’t uncommon for Syracuse’s play to decline in conference play. The ‘Cuse hasn’t finished with a winning record in conference play since 2012. This team is hungry to be the one that changes the negative trend, but with the Orange already behind the 8-ball, they’ll have to do some serious digging.

The ACC is a very topheavy conference, with elite programs such as Florida State and Duke, and lesser programs like Pittsburgh. At the moment, there are five ranked squads in the conference. For Syracuse to even end up middle-of-the-pack in the ACC, it’ll have to at least perform respectably against the ranked teams, and take care of business against the lower-tier squads.

Next week presents perhaps an even greater challenge for Syracuse, as the Orange are once again on the road, this time in Durham, North Carolina to face #17 Duke. SU cannot afford to suffer another sweep if it wants to be a factor in the ACC this season.

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