Syracuse Softball beat convincingly by Virginia three times this weekend
By Cole Purvis | @Cole_Purvis
For the third time in ACC play, Syracuse softball was swept. This time, it was Virginia who took advantage of a struggling ‘Cuse squad. The Cavaliers won 5-0, 10-0, and 10-2 en route to a three-game sweep of the Orange.
Game One
Syracuse hung with Virginia until the late stages of the series opener.
Down 3-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, junior Madison Knight gave up the kill shot. UVA designated player Mary Caroline Eaton hit a two-run home run to left field, extending the lead to 5-0.
It capped off a strong day at the plate for Eaton, who started the scoring for the Cavs all the way back in the first inning with an RBI double.
SU continues its struggles in series openers, dropping to 1-5 in game ones against ACC teams.
Game Two
Virginia’s display of a relentless early-game offense led it to a mercy-rule victory.
With junior Julianna Verni on the bump, Syracuse had no answers right from the get-go.
Third baseman Sarah Coon got the party started, mashing a grand slam to left-center field to give the Cavaliers a 4-0 lead. And once again, Syracuse couldn’t climb itself out of a hole.
The third inning proved to be the most productive of the series for Virginia. It started when senior Kailyn Jones worked the count full, then hit an RBI single past the pitcher. Infielder Jade Hylton brought in the second and third runs of the frame with a double to left center. Jones would then score on a sacrifice lineout by outfielder Kelly Ayer. Now with an 8-0 advantage, Eaton made sure SU would not stop the damage. Her two-RBI double made it 10-0.
Due to the college softball mercy rule, which states that the contest ends if a team is up by eight runs or more after the fifth inning, Syracuse lost 10-0. It would go into Sunday trying to avoid a sweep.
Game Three
As with game two, UVA got out of the gates quickly. Hylton and Coon each hit first inning home runs; Hylton’s a solo shot, with Conn’s a three-run bomb. The Cavaliers led 4-0 after one.
Syracuse scored its first run of the series when second baseman Angie Ramos put the ball in play, scoring Madison Knight from third base.
Speaking of Knight, she picked up the loss in the circle today. This one is especially significant, as it drops the junior to an under .500 record on the year, with nine wins and ten losses.
After SU scored in its half of the second, UVA would punch back in the form of another Jade Hylton solo homer. Then, second baseman Bella Cabral legged out a triple to score Ayer. An SU error on a Sarah Coon ground ball scored two runs, and it was an 8-1 Cavaliers lead.
Syracuse added another in the top of the fourth when Madelyn Lopez scored Ramos on a sacrifice fly.
Needing a run to achieve the mercy-rule margin, catcher Sydney Hartgrove hit an RBI double.
When SU was held scoreless in its half of the fifth, the game ended in a 10-2 Virginia win.
UVA adds itself to the list of teams that have swept Syracuse in ACC play, along with Stanford and Clemson.
Meanwhile, SU has some digging to do. The Orange are currently the worst team in the ACC, and must get out of the bottom three to reach the postseason tournament. Next up is a Wednesday doubleheader with Colgate, with first pitch at 2 p.m.
