Coming off a three-game sweep of Virginia, Syracuse won its next two games against Georgia Tech this weekend, but lost their third game to end the series.

Due to unplayable field conditions in Syracuse, the series was moved to Atlanta, where Syracuse still batted in the bottom half of each inning.

The Orange (12-15, 5-4 Atlantic Coast) eked out a 1-0 win in the first game of the series, and was led by freshman pitcher Sydney O’Hara’s complete game, one-hit, 12 strikeout performance against Georgia Tech (19-10, 8-8) on Friday. It was O’Hara’s second one-hitter in her previous four starts. Her 12 strikeouts matched a career high.

SU scored the game’s lone run in the bottom of the sixth on Shirley Daniels’ two out double.

The two teams split the doubleheader on Saturday with the Orange winning the first game, but losing the second.

In game one of the doubleheader, Georgia Tech jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first and a 4-0 lead midway through three. SU senior first baseman Jasmine Watson answered with a two-run home run in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to two.

The Orange took the lead in the fifth, scoring three runs. Freshman Nicole Lundstrom’s two-run home run tied the game, Corinne Ozanne singled to left field and Kristina Kinsey pinch ran for Ozanne and scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch three batters later.

O’Hara threw her sixth complete game of the season, allowing four runs on 10 hits while striking out four and improving to 9-5 on the season.

In the second game of the doubleheader, and final game of the three-game series, Syracuse lost 15-3 in five innings.

Just like in the early Saturday game, the Yellow Jackets scored three runs in the top of the first. SU responded in the second with three runs to tie the game thanks to a Watson leadoff solo home run and a Dewes double that scored Mary Dombrowski and Julie Wambold.

Syracuse allowed four runs in the third and eight runs, two earned, in the fourth, enacting the mercy rule after five innings.

Starting pitcher Lindsey Larkin tossed two and two-thirds, giving up seven runs on eight hits.

Watson’s two home runs on Saturday tied a school record for career round-trippers at 38. Watson went 4-for-6 with three RBIs on the day after batting 0-for-3 on Friday.

SU will host its first games of the season this upcoming weekend with a three-game series against Notre Dame. Syracuse is scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday and the final game of the set on Sunday.

compiled by Paul Schwedelson, contributing writer, pmschwed@syr.edu

Published on March 24, 2014 at 12:14 am