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In the top of the fourth inning against Virginia Tech, Syracuse finally got its first runner on base after Angel Jasso was hit in the shoulder by a pitch. With only one out in the inning, it seemed like SU had found a scoring opportunity as the team’s only All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection from last season, Neli Casares-Maher, was making her way to the batter’s box.

But Virginia Tech’s Keely Rochard fanned Casares-Maher on an off speed pitch to start the at-bat and caught her looking on the next pitch. Then, Rochard threw a textbook riser that tailed upwards at the last second. Casares-Maher swung at a ball that was at her helmet by the time she followed through. She struck out on three pitches.

Casares-Maher’s strikeout was one of 17 the Orange (10-9, 1-5 Atlantic Coast) recorded against the sixth-ranked Hokies (18-3, 6-0) on Sunday in a 6-1 road loss. SU has now dropped six of its last seven games, and five of those losses have been in conference. Rochard silenced the Orange’s offense with 17 strikeouts on 24 at-bats.

Rochard was in the zone to start, striking out the first seven batters she faced before Virginia Tech scored the first run of the day on a solo home run hit just barely over the left field fence.

Syracuse pitcher Ariana Adams bounced back on Sunday after getting pulled early on Friday during a devastating third inning where she gave up five runs. Although she gave up two home runs in the first four innings, Adams only allowed two hits during that stretch. The second home came with the bases empty as the Hokies’ Kelsey Bennett homered. The score sat at 2-0 going into the fifth, with the Orange yet to get a hit on Rochard.

That didn’t change as freshmen Tessa Galipeau and Taylor Posner both struck out, and Angie Ramos got thrown out on a routine grounder to second base. Adams started to show cracks in the fifth. Even though Virginia Tech’s Jayme Bailey was thrown out at second, she stretched on what would’ve been an easy single. Then Hokies catcher Mackenzie Lawter hit a shot to center field that just barely sailed over the fence, and Adams was pulled for Lindsey Hendrix.

Coming in down 3-0, Hendrix quickly retired the side on the next two batters. That led to the Orange offense starting to show life in the top of the sixth. Lead off batter Laila Alves found a gap in the outfield, dropping a ball in shallow right field for Syracuse’s first hit of the day. Following Rebecca Clyde and Carli Campbell strikeouts, Jasso hit a hard grounder to the pitcher’s circle and beat out the throw to first. But, Casares-Maher popped out on a foul ball to the catcher to end the inning.

The Hokies put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth. A series of singles by Kelsey Brown and Emma Ritter set up runners on first and second for Bre Peck, who was responsible for the home run in the second inning. She continued her success, hitting a ball deep to center field that went over the fence and into a tree, putting the Hokies up 6-0.

The Orange kept hitting in the top of the seventh as Kelly Breen put the Orange on the board with a home run to left field that just snuck fair. Yamila Evans got hit by a pitch to put a runner on base, but a ground out and two more strikeouts ended the game.

The Hokies only out-hit Syracuse 8-3, but four of their hits went out of the park. Syracuse will try to redeem itself against Maryland Eastern Shore on Tuesday afternoon.

Published on March 13, 2022 at 7:29 pm

Contact Matthew: mahassan@syr.edu