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With a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning, Syracuse had surrendered back-to-back home runs to Virginia Tech’s Emma Ritter and Addy Greene. Just like that, all of the Orange’s previous momentum was stripped away. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, SU needed an offensive response.

Makenzie Foster and Rebecca Clyde each walked, showing plate discipline that the Orange had lacked throughout much of the afternoon. Olivia Pess added on with a walk of her own, loading the bases for SU with just one gone. Madelyn Lopez stepped up to the plate and grounded the ball to the left side of the infield. Virginia Tech chose to try to throw Lopez out at first, scoring Foster to tie the game.

But the Orange began to lose patience at the plate, eager to bring in the game-winning run with the bases loaded. Angel Jasso worked Hokies reliever Lyndsey Grein into a 2-2 count but struck out swinging. Taylor Posner met the same fate, whiffing at the fifth pitch of her at bat for a strikeout. With a chance to walk off the game against Virginia Tech, SU failed to do so even with the bases loaded.

“I think we had some confidence going into it (the game). And we were able to compete. And I think we did well until the wheels kind of came off,” Clyde said postgame.

In Syracuse’s (24-21, 6-14 Atlantic Coast Conference) second game of its series against No. 15 Virginia Tech (38-10-1, 18-5 ACC), its lack of discipline in the batter’s box led it to a 7-3 loss. The Orange were often caught swinging early in counts, leading to quick outs that eliminated scoring opportunities. SU was struck out 13 times on the day and only recorded four hits.

The Hokies entered Saturday’s contest with the fourth-best batting average in the nation, and they showed their discipline at the plate early on. In the first, Ritter — who currently boasts the fourth-most hits in the nation (71) — worked Madison Knight into a 3-1 count before popping up for the first out. Greene flew out and after battling Knight into a full count, Cameron Fagan struck out swinging to close the frame.

In the second inning with the Orange already down by one, Syracuse’s batters began to show a lack of patience at the dish. Knight was struck out looking, but Laila Morales-Alves sparked SU’s offense as she lined a single over the head of Cori McMillan into the right field gap. The ensuing batter Foster couldn’t build off the hit and struck out swinging. Clyde then struck out on just three pitches to end the inning.

Syracuse’s sloppiness at the plate continued in the third. Kelly Breen and Pess both wasted no time taking cuts at the first pitches they faced. Both resulted in weak groundouts. Lopez then managed to force Emma Mazzarone into a full count. While her patience showed throughout the at bat, she did not make solid enough contact on the next pitch and topped it to Annika Rohs at shortstop for SU’s third-straight ground out.

It wasn’t until the fifth inning that Syracuse’s offense finally started to convert its hits into runs.

Down 0-2 in the count, Morales-Alves battled back to bring it to 3-2. She chopped Mazzarone’s next offering to second base for what should have been an easy play for the Hokies. But McMillan bobbled the ball, giving Jasso enough time to make it to first. With Gabby Lantier now pinch-running for Morales-Alves, she slid into second off a rare wild pitch by Mazzarone. Clyde, who had struck out once already, would not be denied this time. She thrashed a base hit right past Mazzarone’s reach into center field, sending Lantier home to draw the Orange even.

Vanessa Flores followed with a single of her own, placing Clyde on third. Lopez continued to display her patience in the box, walking on just four pitches. The fourth pitch of the at bat glanced off catcher Kylie Aldridge’s mask and went to the backstop, giving Clyde just enough time to slide into home and give SU the lead.

It seemed that the momentum had shifted toward Syracuse. But in the sixth inning, Virginia Tech was quick to steal it right back with two consecutive home runs.

“I think we (still) had some confidence even though they scored those two runs,” Clyde said.

Syracuse used that remaining confidence to bring the contest back to a deadlock at 3-3. But after the Hokies rattled off four runs in the eighth, SU’s issues swinging the bat returned and kept it from responding.

After taking over for Mazzarone in the circle in the seventh, Grein continued to be in control in the eighth inning. She took advantage of SU’s poor decision-making at the plate. On a 1-2 count, Knight desperately swung at Grein’s offering, but she missed the mark to strike out for the third time on the day. Morales-Alves then popped up to third base for the second out.

In a final effort to bring Syracuse back into the game, Foster attempted a bunt, yet she missed to seal VT’s victory.

“I think that game really just came down to pitch selection, not chasing pitches out of the zone,” Clyde said. “So if we can kind of focus up for tomorrow and lock in on the strike zone, I think we’ll be OK.”

Published on April 27, 2024 at 7:24 pm

Contact Matthew: mgray06@syr.edu