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SU’s losses to open the Atlantic Coast Conference play against Florida State all followed a similar pattern.

The Seminoles scored 11 across the first innings of all three games, while SU scored eight across all 17 frames. You get the idea: an early rally from the opponent, followed by an anemic attempt from the Orange to generate runs.

That pattern persisted Saturday as SU (11-12, 0-5 ACC) dropped two straight against Virginia (27-3, 6-2), in a home-opener defined by power hitting. Both teams hit three home runs each across the doubleheader, while all five of SU’s RBIs were from homers. Naturally, the Cavaliers rode Hannah Weismer and Bella Cabral’s slams to take the matinee 7-1. In the nightcap, six consecutive walks in the first inning began a seven-run Cavalier rally. Though SU attempted a comeback, it fell 9-4.

Mathematically, the coup de grâce was Weismer’s scoreboard-rattling bomb over the left field wall in the second inning. It bumped Virginia’s lead to two and out of reach for SU’s offense in a game where it logged a single hit.

But the gears were turning earlier.

Jade Hylton’s leadoff single, Kassidy Hudson’s advancement on an error and Macee Eaton’s walk quickly loaded the bases and catalyzed an SU offensive meeting on the mound.

Hylton, who finished 4-for-4, made it home at the expense of two outs before Madison Knight struck out Alex Call.

All SU batters made contact in the second frame, but Jadyn Burney drove a hard grounder to Eden Bigham to start the second inning. Madelyn Lopez grounded to first before Madison Knight walked on balls, but Vanessa Flores’ flyout put the inning in the books.

Then it was Hannah Weismer’s turn.

Her aforementioned bomb deep over the left field wall was her seventh of the season. And SU turned back to heroics to escape the frame. Reagan Hickey grounded to second and Jaiden Griffith lined out to Knight. Hylton singled to center field, but on the subsequent play, she got out at second when her steal attempt went awry.

The third inning followed the same trend. Knight dispatched both Eaton and Hudson, but Cabral’s line drive homer notched the Cavalier’s lead to three.

So when Kelsey Hackett doubled to right field, it looked for a second that UVA could start a rally, that SU’s problem of giving up early rallies from Florida State would haunt it again. Call had the nod to start.

Call laced a grounder down the left field line, splitting the gap between third baseman Erika Zamora and the foul mark. It looked well on its way into deep left field.

But Zamora had another idea, she dove, clasped the ball before it got away and executed the ground out. The Rialto, California, native wasn’t done, though. To start the bottom of the third, she whacked her first career homer deep past the center field wall to cut SU’s deficit to two.

Zamora’s heroics only served to postpone the inevitable.

Five consecutive singles from Hickey, Griffith, Hylton, Hudson and Eaton put UVA up 6-1 at the top of the fourth. When catcher Grace Weaver passed a pitch, Eaton scored to extend the lead to six.

SU had another meeting on the mound, and Madison Knight would only give up two hits in the final three innings, let alone another run. Unfortunately, Eden Bigham continued her would-be no-hitter. The only mark on her six-strikeout performance: Zamora’s homer in the third.

SU’s early-rally demons got the better of it in Game 2.

Julianna Verni began on the mound. She hit Hylton and walked Hudson before Hylton scored on a wild pitch. Verni walked Eaton on the next pitch. With the bases loaded, she was replaced by Jackie Pengel.

Pengel fared similarly. The bases became a merry-go-round, as the SU pitcher walked three batters in a row. Then it was Hickey’s turn.

After going just 1-for-3 in the first game, the catcher cleared the bases with a grand slam over the right field wall.

SU managed to limit Virginia to just two more runs throughout the day, in the second and third. But the damage was already done.

Yet SU wouldn’t go down without a fight. Sydney Jackson relieved Pengel at the top of the second, and it paved the way for Madison Knight’s homer in the bottom of the third, which put SU on the board.

The Orange began to capitalize. Harmony Jackson walked, and Kaylee Eubanks reached first on a fielding error.

Then, Kendall Gaunt stepped to the plate. Entering Saturday, her lone highlight was a homer against Florida State, while the Orange were down by 11. Against the Cavaliers, though, she was itching for a hit.

During her first at-bat, in the bottom of the second, the Clayton, North Carolina, native smacked a foul ball far past the left field foul pole. Now up for her second at-bat, Gaunt smacked a three-run homer similar to the first of the day, a bomb to left which hit the scoreboard.

It was, however, too little, too late. Like Zamora’s in Game 1, Gaunt’s slam was not the sign of a rally to come, but the bang signaling the end. Although SU strung together four more hits to UVA’s one, the five walks on balls and one hit by pitch that led to UVA’s seven-run first inning were too much to overcome, the same issue it faced in Tallahassee, Florida.

The only difference on Saturday? Its offense wasn’t anemic. Three of SU’s nine hits across the day left the park.

Perhaps the plate will be the focus as Syracuse still searches for its first ACC win.

Published on March 21, 2026 at 9:16 pm
Contact Peter: peterhradosh@gmail.com