Syracuse snaps 5-game win streak in 7-0 loss to Cal
Syracuse snapped its five-game win streak Friday in a 7-0 loss to Cal. The Orange tallied just four hits after sweeping BC last weekend. Angelina Grevi | Staff Photographer
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When Madison Knight came up to the plate in the second inning of Syracuse’s Friday contest against California, it was still anyone’s game.
In the circle, Knight had shut down Cal’s offense, allowing just two hits through its first trip around the order. At the plate, she now stood against Golden Bears starter Anna Reimers, with a chance to provide herself an advantage.
Her at-bat ended with a deep fly ball into left field. Initially, it appeared like the ball would harmlessly fall foul, and Knight would stay at the plate. But Cal left fielder Kaylee Pond had different plans. Pond leaped at the fence, reaching her arm over and snagging Knight’s fly ball in her outstretched mitt.
“She’s an all-around good player,” Knight said. “You just gotta tip your cap.”
Pond’s miraculous snag was a microcosm of a game where it seemed like nothing could go right for the Orange offensively. After exploding for 28 runs across a series sweep against Boston College, Syracuse (27-20, 6-16 Atlantic Coast) notched just four hits in its 7-0 loss to Cal (33-18, 9-13 Atlantic Coast) Friday. The loss snapped SU’s five-game win streak.
Early on, it seemed like SU would maintain its momentum from its sweep over the Eagles. The Golden Bears’ first three hitters were sat down, with Knight notching a strikeout and inducing two groundouts to finish the first frame.
On the offensive end, Madelyn Lopez got the Orange started, leading off with a line drive single into right field that barely escaped the outstretched grasp of Cal second baseman Mia Phillips.
She moved into scoring position on a Jadyn Burney sacrifice bunt, bringing Vanessa Flores up with a prime opportunity to get Syracuse on the board first. When she drove a ground ball single into center, it seemed she had delivered.
But Lopez got too adventurous on the basepaths. Centerfielder Mika Lee quickly scooped up Flores’ single and fired a strike to Lagi Quiroga at home plate. When Lopez reached home, Quiroga was waiting for her with the ball in her mitt.
However, Flores advanced to second on the throw, allowing Taylor Posner to drive in a runner in scoring position. Though her batting average dropped from .283 last season to .243 this season, Posner entered Friday on a recent hot streak, having driven in five runs across three games against BC.
Evidently, she had simmered down before Friday’s contest. Posner killed any hope of a rally by grounding out to third base.
The second inning was more challenging for Knight, as Pond reached on a walk and Lee smacked a single to move her to second with one out. But a Phillips’ fielder’s choice prevented either from advancing, and Nailyn Marshall ended the rally soon after with a pop out.
After Pond’s incredible grab on Knight’s foul, Kelly Breen delivered Syracuse’s first extra-base hit with a two-out double. But Laila Morales-Alves popped out to shortstop immediately after, stranding another runner in scoring position for SU.
Once the Golden Bears turned the lineup around for a second time, it became tough sledding for Knight. Holly Medina started the third inning with a single, bringing Elon Butler — Cal’s leadoff hitter — to the plate.
Butler singled on a knuckler to Morales-Alves at home plate. Then, after an errant throw to first, Medina advanced all the way to third. With zero outs, Knight needed to tread carefully to preserve the shutout.
She couldn’t do so. Quiroga drove in Butler and Medina with a single to make it 2-0. The onslaught continued, with Acacia Anders doubling to center to move her to third.
“I just wasn’t making pitches,” Knight said. “It’s just taking full responsibility for my actions.”
Knight managed to get her first out of the frame on a Tianna Bell fielder’s choice, where Morales-Alves and Quiroga engaged in a standoff while Anders took her spot at third. But she wasn’t out of the woods yet.
Pond subsequently smacked a double into center, tacking on two more runs to Cal’s lead. By the time Knight escaped the inning, the Orange were behind the eight ball with a four-run deficit.
When Syracuse got a chance to respond, it seemed like it would be able to trim the deficit. Lopez got SU started with a one-out walk, and Burney hit a ground ball single into right to move her into scoring position.
But Flores immediately ended the rally by grounding into a double play. The Orange wouldn’t notch another hit in the game.
Knight settled down in the fourth, but she allowed a home run to Bell in the fifth. And in the following frame, Lee led off a nightmarish sixth inning with a home run of her own.
After Marshall notched a one-out single, Butler reached on a two-out walk. Quiroga kept the rally alive with another walk, and Anders got drilled with a fastball to plate a seventh run for the Golden Bears. Knight’s control issues settled down after, but it was far too late to make a difference.
“I think I was trying too hard to aim, instead of just throwing it,” Knight said.
The Golden Bears opted to pull Reimers in the fifth, allowing Annabel Teperson to shut down the Orange across the final three frames. But it didn’t seem to matter who the pitcher was. The result remained the same – utter domination at the most critical juncture of SU’s season.
