Coming into its matchup with Louisville, Syracuse had dropped four-consecutive games, losing by a combined score of 33-2.

But on Sunday, clutch hitting from Gabby Teran, Neli Casares-Maher, Toni Martin and Hannah Dossett secured a 4-2 extra-inning win. Syracuse (9-16, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) also needed a 159-pitch, complete-game effort from ace Alexa Romero to outlast Louisville (19-8, 2-1 ACC).

To lead off the top of the eighth inning, sophomore Casares-Maher launched a fastball to left field for a stand-up double. Dossett drove her in with a blast that was about six inches from clearing the left field fence. Dossett had been struggling, going hitless in the previous four games, but her RBI double gave SU a 3-2 lead. Dossett scored on the next pitch off a Martin single up the middle, and Romero closed out the win.

The Orange had a prime opportunity to avoid extras. With a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, Louisville’s Caitlin Ferguson hit a soft liner up the middle with one out, giving Syracuse a chance at a routine double play. Teran, the second baseman, fielded the ball cleanly, stepped on second, and fired a strike to first. The double play would’ve ended the game, but first baseman Alex Acevedo missed stepping the bag, allowing the Cardinals to send the game into extra innings.

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Before Louisville scored on the error, the game was tied, 1-1, with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. Teran then took an outside fastball the other way, sending a line drive to right field. Her single on a 2-2 count scored Lailoni Mayfield from second.

Syracuse originally established a lead in the first. With two outs, senior Alicia Hansen reached on an infield single hit toward UofL’s pitcher. Hansen then stole second and continued around the bases to score on two Louisville errors. Hansen’s aggressive baserunning had given SU an advantage

The next four innings went scoreless, but Romero struggled with her control. She walked one batter in the second inning, and put two on base in the fourth. She’d finish with six walks in her outing.

Romero’s control caught up to her in the fifth inning, as she consistently fell behind in counts. Two singles and a sacrifice fly later, and Louisville tied the game, 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth.

Louisville nearly cracked open the game in the next frame, if not for Teran’s glove. From second base, Teran tracked back into right field, where Taylor Roby hit a soft line drive. Right fielder Bryce Holmgren dove for it, but Roby’s hit snuck under her glove. Teran, backing up Holmgren in deep right field, picked up the ball and threw a laser to second base, taking away a leadoff double from Louisville. Romero got the next two batters out to end the inning and eliminate the danger.

In the end, Romero struck out eight Cardinals and allowed two earned runs to help Syracuse hand Louisville its first home loss.

Published on March 17, 2019 at 3:01 pm

Contact Danny: dremerma@syr.edu | @DannyEmerman