Game 2: Syracuse Suffers its Worst Loss of the Season, Falls to Pitt 22-7

Story and Photo By Julia Morris

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Freshman McKayla Taylor entered Syracuse and Pitt’s second game of their doubleheader having already hit one home-run earlier in the afternoon - and she wasted no time picking up her second.  In the top of the first inning with runners on second and third and two out, Taylor blasted the ball to right center for her tenth home-run of the season, giving the Panthers (28-14, 8-9 ACC) an early 3-0 lead.  And even though it was a cold, 30-degree April afternoon at Skytop field, the rest of Pitt’s offense had no trouble staying hot – the Panthers added 19 more runs over the next four innings en route to a 22-7 victory over Syracuse (15-21, 1-9 ACC).

“They were pretty disciplined hitters all day,” Syracuse Head Coach Leigh Ross said.  “When they needed the big hits they got the big hits.”

Syracuse players were not available to media after the game.

Pitt Offense Erupts Early

AnnaMarie Gatti made her second career start and third overall appearance in an Orange uniform.  The freshman struggled from the get-go to control the powerful Pitt offense, which has four players batting .325 or better, and she lasted only two innings. After giving up the three-run blast to Taylor in the first, she was tagged for four more runs in the second.  In that inning, Pitt loaded the bases with one out following a couple of singles and a walk.  Jenna Modic, who holds a .344 average this season, hit a tapper back to Gatti who could not field it, allowing another run to score, putting Pitt up 4-0.  A sac fly by Carly Thea and a bloop single to second base by Kaitlin Manuel gave Pitt a 7-0 lead.

“She’s a freshman, she’s young,” Ross said.  “She’s just getting back so she’s growing, we’re growing.”

Junior Lindsey Larkin came in to relieve Gatti at the start of the third inning, but she too was unable to quiet the Panthers’ bats, giving up five earned runs on five hits in one inning of work.  She quickly loaded the bases and gave up an RBI single to Thea that increased the Panther lead to 8-0 before Sydney O’Hara came in to relieve her. 

Taylor Continues to Drive in Runs, Orange Relievers Struggle

The first batter O’Hara faced was Taylor and she got ahead of the Panthers’ home-run leader with a 0-2 count. But Taylor then drilled a ball down the third base line to score three more runs and give Pitt an 11-0 lead.

Later on in the top of the fourth, Taylor drew a bases-loaded walk off O’Hara for her seventh RBI of the game, increasing the Panthers’ lead to 14-1.  She lined a single again in the fifth inning, this time off Orange relief pitcher Jordyn White, to give the Panthers a 19-3 lead and bring her RBI total for the game to eight.

White, the Orange’s fourth pitcher of the game, struggled like the three pitchers before her. She gave up five earned runs on three hits over one inning of work.  Overall, Syracuse pitchers gave up 17 hits during the game. 

“It’s hard as a pitcher to go out there when you’re down by so many runs knowing that you don’t want to give more up, it’s a tough spot to be in,” Ross said.

Orange Bats Wake Up Too Late

Syracuse got one run back in the bottom of the third after Corinne Ozanne, the only Orange hitter batting above .300 this season, lined a single up the middle that scored freshman Maddi Doane.  Syracuse added two more runs in the fourth off a two RBI single up the middle by Doane and then four more in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a three-run homer by sophomore Alyssa Dewes.  With one out and runners on second and third, Dewes lined a shot to center field that cleared the trees behind the fence to make it 22-7.

“It’s great to put up seven runs but we needed more earlier,” Ross said.  “There’s no excuses at all but there’s a combination of a lot of things, sometimes you have an off day and combine that with 32 degrees and some wind blowing out to right center." 

Syracuse’s four-run rally in the fifth ended shortly after Dewes' home run, as Sammy Fernandez lined out to left field and freshman Annie Toczynski struck out swinging to end the game.

Up Next

Syracuse and Pitt will play the final game of their three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 12 p.m.