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In the fifth inning of Syracuse’s first game against Niagara, Kayla Sigala had a prime opportunity to break the game wide open. The freshman was coming in to pinch hit for Vanessa Flores, and she stepped into the box with the bases loaded and just one out on the board.

But she couldn’t capitalize on that chance. Her first at-bat ended with a groundout double-play to second base, and Niagara continued to hold a three-run lead up until the seventh inning.

In the seventh, Sigala had a chance for redemption. After Angie Ramos and Kelly Breen notched hits to open the inning, Taylor Posner got hit by a pitch to load the bases for the freshman. This time, she didn’t waste the opportunity, driving a double into right field to score two runs for SU.

“I just wanted to stay calm,” Sigala said. “(With) Tessa (Galipeau) right behind me, I knew our batters were going to do something and pull through.”

Sigala’s performance was emblematic of a trend in SU’s home-opening doubleheader. Despite leaving eight runners on base, Syracuse (19-8, 1-5 Atlantic Coast) defeated Niagara (2-10, 0-0, Metro Atlantic Athletic) 7-6 to open the day. But in the second game of the doubleheader, the Orange were much more efficient, stranding just seven of their 22 runners in a 15-0 win.

Their troubles started almost immediately. Jadyn Burney led off the game with an infield single to short, and Breen walked to move her into scoring position. With two outs on the board, Posner grounded out to third to strand both runners.

The game remained scoreless heading into the third, but the Purple Eagles were able to pounce on Jackie Pengel in her second start of the season. Natasha Limbani and Lindsay Mayo each smacked two-out hits in the frame, and Shayna Myshrall walloped a three-run homer into center field to give Niagara an early 3-0 lead.

Down three in the third, the situation necessitated a quick response from the Orange. They immediately came through with a rally in the bottom of the inning.

Burney started off the frame with a walk, then Madelyn Lopez and Ramos followed with singles to drive her in. Unlike her first at-bat, Posner didn’t strand runners in scoring position, as she ripped a single past Brianna Delaney to tie the game at 3-3. That was the last time SU scored before the final frame, though it wasn’t for a lack of opportunity.

After Sydney Jackson replaced Pengel in a scoreless fourth, the Purple Eagles started to pounce in the fifth. The inning began with a Mayo one-out walk, and Limbani reached on a dropped fly ball by Gabby Lantier to put two runners on. Myshrall then walked to load the bases, and a throwing error by Burney allowed Mayo to score on a grounder by Delaney.

Sophia Marrero followed by doubling to plate Limbani and Myshrall, and Syracuse suddenly found itself down 6-3 heading into the fifth frame.

Just like the third inning, SU looked for a quick response, and it nearly found it. Lopez started the frame by flying out. But her flyout was followed by a Ramos walk, a Breen single and a Posner walk to load the bases. Then, Sigala came up, and she squandered the opportunity with that aforementioned inning-ending double play.

“I don’t want to dwell on a missed opportunity. I always want to be able to bounce back from that,” Sigala said. “It was just good for me to make sure I don’t get in my head too much.”

Somehow, Syracuse had another opportunity in the sixth inning. After a Galipeau flyout, Kaimi Tulua walked, and she was immediately replaced by pinch runner Taylor Davison. Then, a Lantier single pushed Davison to third with one out. It seemed like a great opportunity to close the gap, but a Burney lineout and a Lopez groundout ended those hopes rather quickly.

Issues with runners in scoring position had plagued the Orange for six innings. But they instantly disappeared once SU reached the seventh frame.

Sigala’s aforementioned double plated two runs to cut Niagara’s lead to one, and Galipeau came up to the plate with a chance to end the game. Facing relief pitcher Jenna Martin, Galipeau roped a liner into right field to score Posner and Sigala, simultaneously ending the game and Syracuse’s offensive inefficiencies.

Although the Orange didn’t score in the first inning of the second game, they poured it on once they reached the second. Sigala got Syracuse started with a double, and Galipeau drove her in with another double to give SU an early lead.

That sequence kicked off a five-run second inning, and the offensive slaughter continued throughout the contest. Syracuse plated three additional runs in the third, and it tacked on seven more in the fourth to send the Purple Eagles home prematurely.

“It was just like a little, quick mental adjustment,” Sigala said. “It was just knowing that we can do it, and we can pound on this team.”

Published on March 19, 2025 at 10:06 pm
Contact Mauricio: mjpalmar@syr.edu | @mpalmarSU