Syracuse earns 2nd ACC victory in 7-5 win over North Carolina
Madison Knight's 10th complete game of the season helped push Syracuse over North Carolina 7-5 Friday. Angelina Grevi | Staff Photographer
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The last time Madison Knight started a game, she got chased out prematurely. Clemson opened its series with the Orange by attacking their ace early, tacking on four runs before the third inning and forcing a pitching change in the fifth.
It was a nightmarish start that led to a deflating 8-1 loss. Syracuse didn’t produce an extra-base hit, and it barely cobbled together a run off Tigers’ starter Reese Basinger. It was just the second start in which Knight hadn’t pitched a complete game all season.
“If we (put together rallies) earlier in the game, that game probably would’ve been a lot closer,” Knight said after SU’s loss. “It gives me a lot more hope for insurance runs.”
Knight returned to the circle in Syracuse’s (21-11, 2-8 Atlantic Coast) series opener against North Carolina (26-9, 6-4 Atlantic Coast) Friday, and she gave up four runs before the fourth inning. But this time, the Orange gave her the run support she lacked against the Tigers, and Knight notched her 10th complete game in a 7-5 win over the Tar Heels.
Neither team got much going early on, as UNC starter Kenna Raye Dark traded scoreless frames with Knight to open the game.
In the second inning, the Tar Heels registered their first base runner on a Carlie Myrtle one-out walk. Kiannah Pierce followed with a foul out to Kelly Breen at third, and it appeared UNC would be silenced again.
Raeghan Carlson changed that with one swing. The catcher drove a two-out fly ball deep to left, and as Gabby Lantier approached the fence, the ball glanced off her mitt for a double that scored Myrtle. Yet again, the Orange found themselves behind the eight ball early in ACC play.
SU’s second-inning efforts against Dark didn’t help matters. Taylor Posner led off with a walk, but Madelyn Lopez, Laila Morales-Alves and Breen promptly got out to strand SU’s first base runner.
In the top of the third, the game appeared to be getting out of reach for the Orange. Grace Jackson started the Tar Heels off with a single to third, and Lexie Roberts moved her into scoring position with a bunt single.
Alex Coleman’s pop out to Jadyn Burney eased the pressure on Knight. But the next at bat, Kat Rodriguez made sure SU’s ace wouldn’t escape unscathed. The second baseman crushed a no-doubt home run to center, making it 4-0.
The deficit was a position Syracuse became accustomed to in conference play. Prior to Friday, it often capitulated when trailing.
“Last week, I think once one run got on the board, everyone deflated and thought we didn’t stand a chance,” Knight said.
Yet on Friday, the Orange didn’t resign themselves to that fate. In the bottom of the third, Tessa Galipeau doubled down the right field line. Then, Lantier laced a line drive double into left to get SU on the board.
It didn’t get much easier for Dark after that. Angie Ramos squeaked a ground ball single into center to move Lantier to third, and she advanced to second on the ensuing throw. With two outs, Posner lined a single into center to score both. By the time Dark got out of the inning, UNC’s advantage had shrunk to one.
Now facing a surmountable one-run deficit, Knight rebounded in the top of the fourth, silencing North Carolina’s bats to keep the game at 4-3.
Heading into the bottom of the fourth, UNC head coach Megan Smith Lyon had seen enough from Dark, and she gave the ball to Nikki Harris to secure a win. But that decision didn’t affect SU’s offense.
Morales-Alves led the inning off with a flyout, but Breen reached on a single to start Syracuse’s rally. Galipeau’s ensuing double advanced her to third, and Burney snuck on base with a bunt single to load the bases.
Lantier was due to bat next, but she was replaced by Kaimi Tulua. The freshman, who’s primarily a power hitter, had the chance to blow the game open with an extra-base hit. She smoked a fly ball into center that was inches away from going over the fence. Instead, it bounced off the wall for a double, driving in two runs and giving SU a 5-4 lead.
Harris was pulled for Lilly Parrish immediately after. But the Orange continued to pile on, with Ramos and Lopez plating two more runs with singles. North Carolina exited the frame down 7-4, with the momentum flipped completely.
The Tar Heels looked for a quick response in the fifth, and Roberts got them started with a single. Then, Coleman’s sacrifice bunt moved her to second for Rodriguez, who drove in UNC’s fifth run of the game with a double to right. However, with a two-run lead still intact, Knight remained unfazed.
“(Run support) helps tremendously,” Knight said. “It just has that little bit of insurance in the back of your head to let you know, if you give a home run here, you still have your team behind you.”
The following two innings, she shut the door on any possible redemption attempt for the Tar Heels, allowing two base runners in that span to secure SU’s second conference victory.
“I think it’s a matter of believing. I just think that’s what we’ve lacked in ACC play,” Knight said. “If we go up and we believe that we can beat a team, I know that we can go out and beat anybody.”
