Syracuse Bats Alive in the Altitude, but Orange Split Doubleheader

By Tom Russo

CitrusTV Softball Beat Reporter

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountains seem to be doing wonders for the Orange bats this weekend.  Syracuse (7-12, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) scored a combined 13 runs today, but still only split the day’s doubleheader.

The Orange started by beating Wagner (3-8, 0-0 Northeast) 7-3, but lost the nightcap 8-6 to Colorado State (15-4, 0-0 Mountain West).

Against Wagner the scoring began in the second with a bases-loaded groundout from Anya Gonzalez.  Toni Martin then picked up a two-run double before coming around to score on Gabby Teran’s bunt to complete the four-run second inning.

In the third Neli Casares-Maher would hit a RBI single followed by a SAC fly from Hannah Dossett to extend the SU lead to 5-0.

After two Wagner runs in the sixth, Martin delivered an RBI triple to drive in Syracuse’s seventh run of the game.  Martin finished 2-2 with three RBIs, the double and the triple on the day.

Casares-Maher also went 2-3, and Michala Maciolek picked up her first two hits of the season with a pair of doubles.  Meanwhile Sophie Dandola went the full seven innings allowing only three runs to pick up her fourth win of the season.

In the late game against Colorado State, it took longer for the offense to get going, as the Rams jumped out to an 8-1 lead after a six-run fourth.

In the fifth though the bats returned, as Maciolek picked up her first RBI of the season on and RBI single to right.

Then came the blasts with two-run homers from Alicia Hansen and Martin. Martin now leads the club with three long balls on the season.

However, Alexa Romero had a rough outing in her second start of the weekend in her home state, yielding eight runs on eight hits in her six innings.

But the bats are bopping, having scored 28 runs over the first three games of the Colorado State Classic.

Syracuse will look to keep it going as they close out the weekend with a doubleheader, first playing the rained-out matchup with Dayton at 2:15, before a rematch with Colorado State at 4:30.

twrusso@syr.edu | @TomRusso24