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Heading into Friday’s doubleheader at the Blue Hen Invitational, Syracuse had cleaned up against inferior opponents en route to a program-best 11-0 start.

Of SU’s 13 wins prior to Friday, 11 came from opponents that currently hold losing records, with University of North Carolina Wilmington the only exception. The only losses on Syracuse’s record to that point had come from a 14-1 Georgia squad.

So, with how the Orange had handled weaker competition in the past, their contest against a three-win Quinnipiac team seemed like a formality. But seven innings later, it was the Bobcats who came out on top.

Syracuse’s (14-3, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) bats were silenced in a 4-1 loss to Quinnipiac (4-6, 0-0 Metro Atlantic), as it mustered up just one extra base hit, clinching its first loss to a team with a losing record. However, SU ended the day on high note, defeating Delaware (5-8, 0-0 Colonial Athletic) 8-1 to split the doubleheader.

The Orange started out strong against Quinnipiac, with Rose Cano pitching a clean first inning in her second start of the season. The George Washington transfer quickly struck out Sofia Vega and Natalia Apatiga, giving SU a chance for an early lead.

Syracuse immediately capitalized. In the bottom of the first, Jadyn Burney reached on a bunt single, and Madelyn Lopez followed with a single to center. Two outs later, Laila Morales-Alves slapped a single down the left-field line, scoring Burney to give SU a 1-0 lead.

But it all went downhill from there. With two outs and two runners on, Peyton Schemmer came up to the plate. Her ensuing flyout to center ended the rally. Cano’s first-inning punchouts were her last of the day, and SU couldn’t push another run across.

That’s not to say Syracuse didn’t have opportunities. Still sporting a one-run lead in the bottom of the second, Tessa Galipeau singled and Gabby Lantier reached on an error to give SU its third runner in scoring position. But after weak flyouts from Burney and Lopez, Bobcats pitcher Sydney Horan escaped the jam.

Horan’s efforts allowed Quinnipiac to tie the score in the top of the third. Cano started the inning by allowing a free pass to Noelle Reid. Her mistake was immediately punished. A fielder’s choice pushed Reid into scoring position, and Vega drilled a double into left field, tying the game at one apiece.

The rest of the day was more of the same for Cano. In the fourth, she allowed a triple to Jaelyn Gonzalez, who miraculously got out on a fielder’s choice by Riley Potter. With pinch-runner Ava Tabangcura on second, a two-out walk to Brooke Hilliard forced Cano out of the game for Madison Knight.

Knight’s heroics against Delaware led Syracuse to victory on Thursday, but she couldn’t replicate that performance against the Bobcats. Reid worked the count to earn a walk, and Knight threw a wild pitch that scored Tabangcura, giving Quinnipiac a lead it never relinquished.

In the fifth inning, Quinnipiac tacked on two more runs off Knight, with Vega and Mary Fogg starting the frame with singles. Gonzalez then walloped a ground-rule double that skipped over the center field fence, providing Horan with much-needed insurance.

The rest of the game was smooth sailing for Horan, who pitched a complete game for her second win of the season. Though she only registered one strikeout, her 16 flyouts helped mitigate SU’s 10 hits in the game.

A few hours later, the Orange returned to action, determined to set the tone early against Delaware. They did just that.

Burney opened the game by lacing a single down the left field line, and Lopez reached after a botched fielder’s choice by the Blue Hens. With two runners on and no outs, Delaware starter Morgan Hess found herself against the wall with no escape in sight.

Angie Ramos pounced on the third pitch she saw, giving Syracuse a 1-0 lead with a single into left. Morales-Alves followed by smacking a double into left, plating Lopez and Ramos to triple Syracuse’s lead. But Hess got thrown a life raft by an overly adventurous Morales-Alves, who was thrown out attempting to advance to third on the play.

In the bottom of the frame, Delaware cut the lead to two after a Lantier error scored Chloe Blantz. But that run was the only blemish on Julianna Verni’s performance. SU’s ace allowed just four hits across seven innings, preserving her spotless 6-0 record.

Hess was able to stem the bleeding after the first, though the Blue Hens pulled her heading into the fifth. But the Orange had no mercy on the relievers.

SU tacked on five more once Delaware went to the bullpen, with Ramos and Morales-Alves combining to drive in four in the span and sealing Syracuse’s win over the Blue Hens. But despite the win, the day was headlined by the Orange’s loss to Quinnipiac, its first blemish on a nearly spotless resume thus far.

Published on February 28, 2025 at 7:56 pm

mjpalmar@syr.edu | @mpalmarSU