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Throughout the UNCW Tournament last weekend, Syracuse relied on its rotation and defense to guide it to a 5-0 start to 2025. The Orange scored 19 runs across five games, with their highest single-game tally being five runs. But SU’s pitching staff didn’t need much offensive production to clinch the wins — it allowed just three runs on the weekend, highlighted by three shutouts.

A week later, the Orange’s pitching staff continued to dominate, but their offense woke up, too. It poured on 10 runs in a win over Long Island, and used its defense to propel it over Tennessee Tech in a 3-0 win later that afternoon. But on Saturday, SU’s offense broke out dominantly.

Syracuse (9-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) crushed Tennessee Tech (4-5, 0-0 Ohio Valley) 12-1, and similarly dominated LIU (1-7, 0-0 Northeast) 8-2 in the nightcap. The Orange combined for 20 runs and 28 hits across the two games, their most in a doubleheader this season, to extend their best start in program history to 9-0.

In the opener versus Tennessee Tech, SU jumped on the Golden Eagles within the first three batters. Madelyn Lopez, who finished the afternoon 3-for-3, reached on a bunt single to open the game. Laila Morales-Alves singled to right field soon after, and a throwing error allowed Lopez to score.

Juliana Verni got the start on the bump for the Orange and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first. After grabbing some momentum early, the Orange never looked back.

Syracuse did most of its damage in the third and fourth innings. SU loaded the bases on a trio of singles. Kaimi Tulua drove in two with a single to center. Two batters later, Tessa Galipeau crushed a double off the wall in right-center field to score two more. The floodgates opened from there.

Angie Ramos and Tulua drove in two more runs apiece in the fourth, and nifty baserunning from Erika Zamora in a rundown allowed the Orange to extend their lead further.

Tennessee Tech got on the board as Julie Martin scored on a wild pitch by Verni in the bottom of the fourth. Still, SU gained some extra insurance in the fifth as Taylor Posner drove home Lauren Fox on a groundout.

Jackie Pengel fanned two batters in the bottom half of the frame, slamming the door on a run-rule victory, 12-1. SU tallied a season-high 14 hits in the win.

The nightcap started similarly, with Syracuse loading the bases in the top of the first. Tulua, Alves and Galipeau drove in runs to put the Orange up 3-0 early. Six of SU’s first seven batters recorded hits in the inning.

Galipeau’s tear continued in the third. She rocked a two-run double to right-center to score Ramos and Kate Dorazio. The infielder tallied five RBIs across the two games.

The Sharks responded in the bottom of the third, though, as Kaylee Clarkson blasted a solo homer to left field. An inning later, LIU continued to close the gap, scoring again on a single by Alyssa Garcia and a throwing error. Despite putting up two unanswered runs, it proved to be LIU’s only offense of the evening.

Instead, SU poured it on with two homers of its own in the top of the fifth. Tulua smashed her first collegiate dinger with one out, and Ramos followed with her first of the season on the next pitch. Syracuse led 7-2 through five innings.

Tulua tacked on some more insurance in the sixth with an RBI groundout. The freshman earned her first two career starts on Saturday and tallied a combined seven RBIs.

The Orange held onto the six-run advantage through the final two innings, winning 8-2. Again, SU had 14 hits. With three more out-of-conference tournaments before ACC play begins, the Orange will again look to their offense to build upon their best start to a season in program history.

Published on February 15, 2025 at 7:42 pm

harrispemberton@gmail.com | @HarrisPemb6