Syracuse sweeps doubleheader against Le Moyne

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With an 8-2 lead entering the seventh inning, Julianna Verni entered in relief and was immediately helped by a miraculous diving play by Rebecca Clyde to get the first out of the inning. She followed that up by striking out Alyssa Dybacz.

But it wasn’t easy, as the Dolphins loaded the bases on two walks and a single. All of a sudden, the pressure mounted. Audrey Benderski hit a routine fly ball, but the combination of a bad route and wind was enough to cause Madelyn Lopez to drop the ball in right field, scoring all three runs.

Brandi Feeney followed with a single, bringing Sydney Nesci to the dish, representing the tying run. She missed a home run by just a few feet, for a double. Brooke Nicolaos scored, but Benderski’s pinch runner Elaina Kassap was thrown out at home on a perfect relay by Makenzie Foster, to end game one.

After dropping a weekend series at Pitt, Syracuse (23-20, 5-13 Atlantic Coast Conference) bounced back by sweeping its doubleheader against Le Moyne (14-29, 5-10 Northeast Conference). The Orange were led by strong starting pitching and steady offense, winning 8-6 in game one and 6-1 in game two.

On SU starter Britney Lewinski’s first offering of the day, Dybacz hit a line drive to center, and as Angel Jasso had done all season, she made a diving catch to get the first out. Lewinski retired the next two batters to end the inning.

Syracuse struck first in the bottom of the first frame when Dolphins’ starter Laura Bennett surrendered a two-out double to Taylor Posner. Madison Knight followed by sending a ball to the right-center gap, scoring Posner. Knight was thrown out at second on the play, but the run still counted.

After getting two quick outs, Le Moyne loaded the bases in the top of the third. But Lewinski struck out Franki Larobardiere swinging to escape the jam.

“When I don’t walk them and I’m throwing strikes, I’m not getting hit really hard,” Lewinski said postgame. “So if I just go at them, I’m going to get out of it.”

Lewinski got herself out of another threat in the top of the fourth with a runner on third. She forced a strike out and fly out to leave the runner stranded.

The Orange put their second run on the board in the bottom of the fifth, with a no-doubt home run from Olivia Pess for her first of the year. Two batters later, Clyde sent another one out of the yard to left field, extending SU’s lead to 3-0.

“It feels so good,” Pess said of his first home run of the season. “Being able to greet my teammates at home plate is always a fun feeling.”

Le Moyne clawed back in the top of the sixth when Lewinski walked the bases loaded with one out. She struck out Feeney, but Nesci launched a double to the left-center field gap, scoring two. Shannon Gavigan grounded out to end the inning, but the Dolphins cut the SU lead to just one.

Jasso punched right back, leading off the bottom of the frame with another long home run. SU continued to threaten, putting runners on second and third. Foster grounded to shortstop, but beat it out, scoring another run. The following hitter, Pess, blooped the ball into center for an RBI single, then Kelly Breen hit a sac-fly, bringing two more across. Clyde followed with another RBI single, blowing the game open for an 8-2 SU advantage, leading to an eventual 8-6 ​​win.

“It was an adjustment at the plate,” Pess said. “Before (the fifth) we were up in the box. But we noticed the spin was getting on us quick and we needed to let the ball travel a bit.”

Jessie DiPasquale started in the circle in game two and began by leaving a runner stranded at second in the first. In the bottom of the inning, Jasso created a scoring chance for SU di lei using her speed di lei. She bunted for a single, then stole second and third. Knight walked, but Clyde struck out swinging to end the chance.

Syracuse threatened again in the bottom of the second, though, as Pess and Angie Ramos began the inning with singles, and were both moved over by a Peyton Schemmer sacrifice bunt. This brought up freshman catcher Taylor Davison, who grounded to short. Pess got aggressive and scored on a collision at home plate with catcher Kassap. Both players remained in the game.

After a Foster single loaded the bases, Jasso drove in two more on a single to left. Two batters later, Knight drove into another pair. Then, Clyde hit a sacrifice fly, giving Syracuse an early 6-0 cushion.

“It takes the pressure off of a pitcher,” DiPasquale said of the six-run lead. “Just feeling calm and being able to go at hitters.”

Le Moyne quickly went into the third and fourth, only getting one runner on base. SU had another chance to score in the fourth, when Clyde doubled, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. But, Pess lined out to right field to end the inning.

The Dolphins loaded the bases in the top of the fifth with just one away. Larobardiere followed with a walk, gifting the Dolphins their first run of the game. DiPasquale limited the damage, though, getting McKenzie Bergdoll to pop out and Benderski to ground out to third.

DiPasquale finished off her complete game in the seventh. She gave up one run on six hits, while walking three, and striking out eight.

“Just go at them and just remember how talented we are,” DiPasquale said. “If we go out there with our best stuff, and we work together, I think we’re just as good as anyone in this conference.”