Syracuse softball mercy-ruled 9-0 by Ohio State for 2nd straight loss
Syracuse softball was mercy-ruled 9-0 by Ohio State Sunday, going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Angelina Grevi | Staff Photographer
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Aside from an 11-2 win over Winthrop on Feb. 7, all of SU’s games have ended in one of two results: a one-score win or blowout loss.
Against Binghamton on Feb. 7, the Orange trailed 3-2 before rallying to score two runs in the sixth and seventh innings for a walkoff victory. The next day, Syracuse trailed Winthrop 5-0 early and needed extra innings to carve out an 8-7 win. Even against 0-11 Abilene Christian, SU barely squeaked by with a 2-1 win.
On the other end, the Orange have already lost two games by over 13 runs this season. They were dominated 15-2 by then-No. 12 South Carolina on Feb. 6 before losing 14-0 to reigning champion No. 2 Texas Friday.
Syracuse’s 4-3 record through two weeks may look promising on paper. But with a negative-19 run differential, its success likely isn’t sustainable.
The Orange continued trending in the wrong direction Sunday. Syracuse (4-4, Atlantic Coast) dropped its second straight game in the Bevo Classic, falling 9-0 to Ohio State (5-3, Big Ten) and getting mercy-ruled after six innings. SU stranded eight runners on base and struck out seven times, while OSU’s Abbie Wilhelm and Hailey Lang combined for eight runs batted in.
SU didn’t lose its fourth game until Mar. 7 last season, which was also its first bout in conference play. Sure, the early losses this season can be chalked up to a more difficult schedule, as the Orange have already faced two ranked teams. But SU has struggled mightily with situational hitting, and that was no different Sunday.
The Buckeyes went 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position, routinely taking advantage of scoring opportunities to mount their lead. Syracuse, however, went a pitiful 0-for-8 with RISP, a key factor in the dreadful loss.
After a Madelyn Lopez walk and Jadyn Burney single with nobody out, SU looked to be knocking on the door early against Ohio State starting pitcher Kennedy Kay, who entered Sunday with a woeful 9.95 earned run average.
But nothing materialized. Madison Knight flied out before Vanessa Flores and Kayla Sigala struck out to end the inning. It was microscopic of what was to come.
The Buckeyes began to pounce on Knight in the top of the third. After Kailea Ricks and Izzy Neal walked, Taylor Cruse singled to load the bases. Knight has settled in nicely her last three outings after surrendering 10 runs against South Carolina, but disaster struck after Cruse got on base — a grand slam.
Once a pitcher’s duel, Wilhelm broke the game open and gave OSU a lead it never relinquished. It was a prime example of stellar situational hitting, something Syracuse couldn’t do all game.
Syracuse threatened again in the bottom of the inning. Grace Weaver laced a single to right field before Burney’s hit moved Weaver to second. For the second time in three innings, SU was on the brink of scoring.
Yet it couldn’t. Kay managed her way out of the jam by striking out Knight and getting Flores to ground out.
It was more of the same in the fourth. Sigala and Erika Zamora put Syracuse in a solid position to trim its deficit, but it left the inning empty yet again. Kaylee Eubanks and Weaver failed to reach base and Kay maneuvered her way in and out of traffic.
Ohio State eventually put the game out of reach and rocked Knight.
With Cruse on second and nobody out, Lang homered to extend the Buckeyes lead to 6-0. The two-run shot prompted Syracuse head coach Shannon Doepking to move to her bullpen and replace Knight with Julianna Verni.
Knight was impenetrable in nonconference play last season. Her 1.28 ERA was a driving force behind SU’s torrid 16-3 start, and she didn’t allow over three runs in a game.
Between her outing against South Carolina and Sunday, it’s been a vastly different story this season.
Verni didn’t fare much better. Sara Tarr immediately doubled before Skylar Limon drove her in with a knock of her own. It was another instance of timely hitting, and the seven-run deficit seemed nearly insurmountable.
It was. The Buckeyes tacked on two more runs, as Wilhelm’s triple and Lang’s double added to their offensive barrage. Whether it was Knight or Verni, OSU’s duo of Wilhelm and Lang made quick work of Syracuse all day for a 9-0 win.
Syracuse is very fortunate to be .500. Without a five-run comeback against Winthrop or the privilege of playing a winless Abilene Christian team, SU could very well be 2-6 or even 1-7.
It’s still extremely early. Yet, if their negative-28 run differential is any indication, the Orange have a lot to do to get on track before ACC play.
