Syracuse blanked by Clemson in shutout 10-0 loss
Syracuse softball dropped its second straight game against Clemson Saturday, getting blanked in a 10-0 shutout loss. Angelina Grevi | Staff Photographer
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
Heading into its matchup against Clemson, Syracuse was looking to spark a turnaround in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Despite success in nonconference games, SU had only managed to score nine runs and secure one win across seven ACC games. In five of the six losses, the Orange were held to one or fewer runs.
And those struggles persisted against the Tigers on Saturday. Syracuse (19-10, 1-7 Atlantic Coast) fell to Clemson (23-9, 5-3 Atlantic Coast) 10-0, again struggling offensively. The Orange tallied seven hits, but only one — a Madelyn Lopez double — went for extra bases. SU will look to avoid getting swept Sunday after dropping its first game against the Tigers Friday.
“We have to be able to show up against teams that are arguably better than the teams we played in preseason,” pitcher Julianna Verni said.
The game started with both teams being silenced across the first two innings. However, Clemson struck first in the third inning on a Maddie Moore RBI groundout that scored Jamison Brockenbrough.
No runs were earned for either team in the fourth inning as Verni struck out two Clemson batters. She finished the day with five punchouts across five innings pitched. Meanwhile, Clemson’s Brooke McCubbin pitched a complete game and struck out 12 SU hitters.
While the game remained a pitcher’s duel through the first four innings, the Tigers broke it open in the fifth. With two outs and Alex Brown on first, Moore hit a two-run homer, extending the lead to 3-0. Clemson then tacked on another run with an RBI double by Aby Vieira before Verni got out of the inning without surrendering any more damage.
After Syracuse was held scoreless in the bottom of the frame, Verni was pulled for Sydney Jackson. Despite Jackson corralling two strikeouts, Clemson added two more runs on a Brockenbrough sac-fly and a Moore RBI single.
In the bottom of the sixth, Taylor Posner became Syracuse’s first player to reach third base in the game. Posner singled to first base and advanced to third on Lopez’s double. But Laila Morales-Alves couldn’t drive them in with two outs, ending the inning.
Then, with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, Brockenbrough doubled to right field, clearing the bases to extend the Tigers’ lead to 9-0. The ensuing batter, Brown, singled, scoring Brockenbrough before Rose Cano — who was brought in midway through the inning — retired Moore.
The Orange had one last chance to prevent a shutout in the bottom of the seventh but did nothing, suffering their second straight loss.
“When you’re getting knocked down like this you have to respond and be able to be tough,” Verni said. “Be tough, be gritty and just be competitive.”
