With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Syracuse led San Diego State, 8-3. The Orange appeared poised to take the first game of new head coach Shannon Doepking’s tenure with sophomore Sophie Dandola on the mound. Then, everything changed.

It started with senior Alicia Hansen’s error trying to throw out SDSU sophomore Gaby Olivarria at home. Two at bats later, Dandola allowed a single through the left side, cutting the lead to 8-6. After another error by senior Hannah Dossett, the Orange lead was suddenly only one.

Instead of bringing in a new pitcher, Doepking elected to stay with Dandola. Her decision backfired. Aztec senior Katie Byrd fired a single to right field, driving in the tying and winning runs.

Syracuse (0-2) dropped both of its two opening games at the Grand Canyon kickoff tournament to San Diego State (2-0) and No. 4 Oklahoma (1-0). In the first game, Syracuse blew a five run seventh inning lead to SDSU, losing 9-8. Senior Alexa Romero struggled in her first start of the season, allowing 3 runs, two of them earned, in only two innings. She was relieved by Dandola in the third inning.

In the second game, Syracuse was dismantled by OU junior pitcher Mariah Lopez. The Orange failed to register more than one hit in a 6-0 loss to No. 4 Oklahoma. In fact, SU didn’t have a runner in scoring position until the bottom of the sixth, when Hansen stole second after being walked.

The Orange got on the board in the second inning against San Diego State after Dossett drove in junior Toni Martin for the first Orange run of the year. That was the beginning of a six run spurt in the top of the second inning.

After SDSU scored three runs between the second and third, neither team would score until the seventh inning. SU sophomore Michala Maciolek walked to the plate with the bases loaded. After a long at bat, she crushed a pop fly to left field. Freshman Jessica Skladal strolled in for one run and after an error by Aztec freshman Kylie Fraser, Lailoni Mayfield scored too. That increased the lead to 8-3.

Yet, that was all nullified by the six-run, game-winning, rally by the Aztecs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

A few hours later, the Orange had a chance to redeem themselves against Oklahoma. But Lopez dominated the Orange, striking out 12 of the 25 batters she faced. Through the first three innings, Lopez was pitching a perfect game.

With a full count and two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Syracuse finally reached base. SU senior Bryce Holmgren stood in the batter’s box with a full count. Lopez’s pitch smacked her right leg. Holmgren, unfazed, trotted to first base. That was the first of three times the Orange reached base on Friday afternoon.

Still, SU was able to stifle a potent Oklahoma offense for the first six innings. Last season, the Sooners hit .321, good enough for No. 9 in the nation. Today, Sophomore Miranda Hearn, freshman Peyton Schnackenberg, and senior Logan Paul stopped the Sooners to only six hits before the seventh inning. Come the seventh, the Oklahoma offense came alive, knocking in four runs and increasing the lead to 6-0.

Syracuse will be back in action tomorrow when it faces No. 4 Oklahoma again at 4 p.m.

Published on February 8, 2019 at 7:41 pm

Contact Adam: adhillma@syr.edu | @_adamhillman