SU’s Madison Knight hits 2 HRs, blasts walk-off dinger in 3-2 win over ND
Syracuse’s Madison Knight hit two home runs, including a walk-off dinger in the Orange’s 3-2 win over Notre Dame Sunday. Charlie Hynes | Staff Photographer
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Madison Knight didn’t drop her bat immediately after connecting with Notre Dame closer Kami Kamzik’s pitch on the outside of the plate. She didn’t sprint out of the batter’s box, either.
She instead brought her bat with her as she jogged down the first base line. Knight held it in both hands, eyes glued to the ball she’d just struck over Skytop Softball Stadium’s right field wall. Knight spiked her bat, rounded the bases, skipped into home and stomped on the plate. Her teammates crowded around her, and she disappeared from view.
In Syracuse’s (17-19, 4-12 Atlantic Coast) 3-2 win over Notre Dame (19-27, 8-13 ACC) Sunday, Knight drove in all three runs and homered twice. First, she pulled a two-run round-tripper over the wall in left to tie the Fighting Irish at two in the bottom of the fifth before going opposite field in the bottom of the seventh for the Orange’s walk-off win.
There’s no downplaying the situation Knight entered when she stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning Sunday. Yes, the game was on the line. But so was Syracuse’s season, as it sits on the outside looking in of the ACC Tournament.
Both Knight and head coach Shannon Doepking acknowledged postgame that this has been a trying season. Doepking told CitrusTV Syracuse has to take its remaining slate one game at a time, and it’s never over until it’s over.
Knight admitted after the game that the plan was never passivity.
“I’m gonna take a hack,” she said, talking about her last at-bat. “And if I go down swinging, I’m gonna go with my best swing.”
In that same vein, Doepking discussed her team’s fight. She mentioned that quitting is never an option.
“That’s not us,” she told CitrusTV.
Knight talked of a new team mentality.
“Getting into the stretch, now it’s the mentality of ‘Why not us?’” she said.
Syracuse may be trying to keep things simple as the odds against it grow. But Knight’s comments, and the two balls she rocked over the outfield wall make one thing clear: She’s dialed in.
Still, there were times over the weekend when cracks appeared to show in the Orange’s armor. Both Saturday and Sunday, Notre Dame scored first-inning runs courtesy of Syracuse errors. The Fighting Irish’s first run Saturday led Doepking to yank starting catcher Grace Weaver from the game and replace her with Taylor Davison.
Weaver returned to her position Sunday. And in the top of the third, on a Mickey Winchell steal attempt, she had the opportunity to execute the same play she’d made an error on the day before. Instead of sailing her throw into the outfield like she did Saturday, she threw a seed to second Sunday in the top of the third. She led shortstop Erika Zamora into the tag, successfully gunning down Winchell.
In the top of the sixth, Weaver helped turn a clutch double play. Notre Dame had runners on second and third with one out and the score tied. ND’s Caitlyn Early bounced a grounder up the middle to Syracuse pitcher Julianna Verni. She snagged it and threw home to Weaver for the force out, who then zipped the ball to first to beat Early and end the inning.
Sunday’s win, and the Orange’s fight, doesn’t neutralize the damage done to Syracuse’s playoff chances by dropping the series to Notre Dame.
At the very least, what Sunday’s win does is epitomize what Knight, a graduating senior, brings — and means — to this team. Beyond the reality that she drove in all three of Syracuse’s runs Sunday.
A day ago, in the middle of the second inning, Syracuse gathered in foul territory by first base. The Orange were already down five runs. They’d allowed four in the top of the second. No coach entered the huddle. It was all Knight, cheeks flushed, rallying her team to battle.
And when they go down swinging? She has their back.
