Leadoff woes stall Syracuse’s offense, sink ACC hopes
Since Syracuse’s 4-3 loss to Georgia Tech on April 4, its leadoff hitter has reached base in just 10-of-38 innings. Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor
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Syracuse’s program-best start in February is now a faint echo. The Orange won their first 11 games, setting high expectations for Atlantic Coast Conference play. But SU failed to achieve them, going 3-15, its worst ever record through 18 games.
An upset victory over then-No. 17 Duke on March 15 seemed to shift momentum, but Syracuse (22-19, 3-15 ACC) has gone 5-11 since. The Orange’s leadoff hitter struggles to reach base led to the decline. Since Syracuse’s 4-3 loss against Georgia Tech on April 4, 28 of its 38 innings have started with its leadoff hitter failing to reach base. Of SU’s nine runs in that span, six have come when its leadoff hitter gets on.
“Continuing (to keep) the ball rolling is such a good thing, and we just have to show we can do that with any team,” SU shortstop Kayla Sigala said.
Despite three straight losses, Syracuse’s offense clicked as it entered the second game of its doubleheader against Georgia Tech on April 4. In game one, SU tallied eight hits. The week prior, it collected double-digit knocks in all three contests against North Carolina — its first time doing so against an ACC opponent since a mid-April 2024 series against Pitt.
Syracuse’s bats were alive, showing signs of an imminent breakout. Though 1-5 in that span, a series against an inconsistent Yellow Jackets team could help the Orange reverse course.
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But SU’s start to game two brought it back. Gabby Lantier — who usually leads off — went down on strikes, continuing its trend of slow starts.
GT countered SU’s silence with four early runs. Syracuse’s loss quickly took shape. To begin the second and third innings, leadoff hitters Tessa Galipeau and Kelly Breen were retired. The Orange’s next hitters followed suit.
In the fourth, a spark emerged. Jadyn Burney knocked a single up the middle to lead off the inning. Vanessa Flores continued with a hit, jumpstarting a rally. Syracuse finished the fourth with three runs off of Burney and Flores’ hits, cutting its deficit to one.
However, the fifth inning mirrored the first, with Lantier striking out again. In the sixth, Taylor Posner was hit by a pitch, but SU couldn’t drive her in for a run. Breen flew out to begin the seventh, handing Syracuse a 4-3 loss.
The defeat highlighted what needed to be addressed: starting innings strongly.
The Orange’s series finale against GT on April 5 featured tangible adjustments. After 5-of-7 innings started with an out the day prior, SU reduced that number to three. Lantier again struggled, striking out to begin the first and sixth innings. But when Madelyn Lopez doubled to start the fifth, Madison Knight drove her in to lead Syracuse to a 3-0 victory.
“It’s simple. We just have to go out there and be dogs,” Knight said to CitrusTV postgame. “Just gotta put together a hit or two to put up one run.”
A midweek nonconference bout with Cornell presented the Orange with an opportunity to build off their win. However, SU’s leadoff hitter reached base in only the second inning.
Kaimi Tulua singled to right field on the second pitch she saw before Breen’s sacrifice fly brought in SU’s lone run as it fell 2-1. Burney, Tulua, Lauren Fox, Posner and Breen all had chances to set the tone in the remaining innings but couldn’t do so.
Looking to rebound, Syracuse faced Virginia, which had lost three of its previous four games. Despite the skid, the Cavaliers retired Burney, Galipeau, Breen, Lopez and Laila Morales-Alves to open the first five frames. As a result, SU was hitless while UVA’s defensive dominance fueled its production at the plate.
The Cavaliers approached the sixth inning with a 3-0 lead. However, Knight’s walk to begin the frame ran UVA into trouble. Lopez drew an eight-pitch free pass — SU’s longest plate appearance of the game — to give the Orange their first runner in scoring position.
“Just knowing that we can do it, and we can pound on a team (early) is huge,” Sigala said.
Still, no runs materialized. Tulua followed by popping out to begin the seventh. The Orange fell 5-0 and were no-hit for the first time since March 17, 2023, against Florida State.
As bleak as game one was, Syracuse sank lower in leg two of its doubleheader. SU fell 10-0, marking its sixth shutout loss in ACC play this season. To make matters worse, the Orange were no-hit for the second consecutive game — a first in program history. Throughout the miserable offensive display, Syracuse failed to generate any no-out offense.
“We just have to stick to the game plan,” Flores said. “Don’t let your foot off the gas pedal. We take this and go at it next (time). Don’t lay low. We’ve shown fight.”
In an already deflating weekend, one run would’ve been a positive. That’s nearly all SU got in its series finale against the Cavaliers, falling 10-2.
It scored in the second after Knight reached on an error to begin the inning. Syracuse’s only other frame with a leadoff base runner amounted to nothing, bookended between two innings that started with strikeouts. The loss marked SU’s third sweep in six ACC series.
The Orange’s struggles have stemmed from their inability to get consistent production from the leadoff spot. Despite occasional flashes, the team’s lack of early momentum has hurt it immensely. Until Syracuse addresses this issue, its chances for a turnaround remain slim.
