Syracuse falls to Virginia 10-2, swept for 3rd time in ACC play
Syracuse starter Madison Knight tied her career high with three home runs allowed in a 10-2 loss to Virginia Sunday. Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor
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Syracuse has had its share of ups and downs in 2025. The season began with a program-best 11-0 start backed by one of the nation’s most dominant pitching staffs. But since Atlantic Coast Conference play began, the Orange are facing much more trouble.
They’ve sparingly had bright spots, like an upset win over then-No. 17 Duke, a comeback win over North Carolina and a shutout of Georgia Tech. But SU still hasn’t found consistency en route to a 3-12 start in the conference.
Its weekend series with Virginia brought new lows.
The Orange were no-hit twice in one afternoon against the Cavaliers, the first time they’ve been held hitless in over two years. Sunday’s meeting with UVA was an opportunity to build momentum after one of the worst afternoons in program history.
While its bats woke up a bit, Syracuse (22-19, 3-15 ACC) was still run-ruled in a 10-2 loss to Virginia (30-13, 11-7 ACC) Sunday. The Orange scored runs for the first time all weekend, but they allowed three home runs in the five-inning affair, including two to UVA’s Jade Hylton. The defeat marked SU’s fifth run-rule loss and third ACC sweep this season.
The long ball plagued Syracuse early on. Madison Knight entered the weekend with just seven home runs allowed in 106 innings pitched. Before Sunday, she’d allowed just four earned runs over her previous two starts.
The Cavaliers changed that in the bottom half of the first inning. Hylton smashed a solo shot to left-center on the first pitch Knight threw. After Kelly Ayer and Bella Cabral reached on singles, Sarah Coon mashed a three-run homer to left-center to put Virginia up 4-0 in the blink of an eye.
SU responded in the top of the second. After Knight reached on a fielding error and Kelly Breen shot a single to left field, Angie Ramos executed a squeeze to score Knight from third. Breen was stranded in scoring position after a groundout and a strikeout, but Syracuse had chipped away at the Cavaliers’ lead.
Knight quickly retired UVA’s first two hitters in the bottom of the frame, but two-out hitting once again plagued the Orange. Hylton blasted her second homer of the game to center field to spark Virginia’s offense. Knight’s third allowed home run marked a new season-high and tied her career-high.
The Orange couldn’t stop the bleeding. Ayer singled, then Cabral ripped an RBI triple to right field to extend the lead to five. A fielding error allowed two unearned runs to score before Sydney Hartgrove knocked in Alex Call with a double to left field. UVA tallied five runs with two outs in the second, three of which were unearned. It led 9-1 after two innings.
Syracuse put runners aboard in the middle innings. Taylor Posner and Tessa Galipeau reached base in the third, but a potential rally was nullified by an inning-ending double play.
SU loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fourth on a Ramos single, a Laila Morales-Alves bunt and a Kaimi Tulua walk. Madelyn Lopez plated Ramos with a sacrifice fly to right, but Breen struck out with two on to end the inning.
Though Syracuse showed more life offensively, another RBI double by Hartgrove in the bottom of the frame reestablished Virginia’s eight-run lead. A scoreless top of the fifth inning meant SU’s 10-2 deficit called the game and ended a weekend to forget for the Orange.
The offense showed a bit more life Sunday, tallying nine baserunners to Saturday’s seven across the two contests. Still, SU left seven on base while Virginia left just four of its 14 baserunners aboard. However, even if Syracuse could’ve driven in more runners, it’s unlikely it would’ve made much of a difference. SU hasn’t won a game this year in which it’s allowed 10 or more runs.
A main part of that issue is getting behind the eight-ball early. The Orange have allowed runs in the first inning in each of their last four ACC games and are 0-7 in conference play when allowing a run in the first.
Now having lost eight of its last 10 ACC games, Syracuse possesses the worst record in the conference with six ACC games to play. Obtaining its first full winning season in the ACC is no longer a possibility, but a conference tournament run still is.
