Syracuse allows late home run, loses at Cornell 2-1
Despite Rose Cano’s dominant day with two runs allowed in six innings pitched, Syracuse lost 2-1 to Cornell on a Lauren Holt sixth-inning home run. Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor
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Syracuse’s season began with a focus on dominant pitching, but in recent games, the offense has taken center stage. On March 28 and 30 against North Carolina, SU collected double-digit hits for the first time in all three games of a series since April 19-21, 2024, against Pittsburgh.
Despite Syracuse losing two of its three matchups against the Tar Heels, the offensive spark was a step in the right direction for SU to compete with the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top teams. The Orange continued their tear with seven-plus hits in two of three games against Georgia Tech, again showcasing their firepower.
However, Wednesday’s nonconference battle in Ithaca was a step backward. Syracuse (22-16, 3-12 ACC) tallied four hits against Cornell (13-11, 4-5 Ivy League), all of which were singles. As a result, the Big Red defeated the Orange 2-1. The matchup was tied entering the sixth inning, but Cornell’s Lauren Holt blasted a solo home run to ultimately down SU.
Holt has provided Cornell with offense all season, leading the team in batting average and home runs. She had tallied seven before Wednesday, with the Big Red’s next-best power hitter having totaled just two. As Holt’s done all year, she delivered a game-defining moment.
Faced with a 2-1 count, Holt pinned Syracuse pitcher Rose Cano’s offering deep into left field, clearing the wall to put SU on the verge of a nonconference defeat. After Cano escaped the sixth relatively unscathed, Kelly Breen flied out on a 3-1 count, bringing Laila Morales-Alves to the plate. She softly grounded out to second base before Gabby Lantier ended the ballgame on another ground out.
To save its aces for critical conference games, Syracuse has often put unfamiliar arms in the circle in nonconference competition. That trend continued Wednesday with Cano making her fourth start of the year.
Entering the contest, her 2.83 ERA ranked second on SU. In the first inning Wednesday, Cano cruised through Cornell’s lineup. After SU had tallied a single from Jadyn Burney, it was quickly silenced by the Big Red’s Kyrie Denny. Cano, however, matched Denny, forcing three straight groundouts to put SU back at the dish.
The brief stint on defense gave Syracuse a chance to regroup offensively. Despite fielding a lineup with several reserves, SU broke the scoreless tie in the second inning. After Kaimi Tulua reached base and was pinch-run for Cano, Breen drove her home with a sacrifice fly to right field.
However, Cornell bounced right back. With a leadoff walk and a single already on the board, the Big Red’s Maddie Ullensvang was at the plate. She grounded out to Breen, but each runner moved up 60 feet. A strikeout followed, but Emma Antich plated Holt soon after on an error by Tulua.
Neither Cornell nor could Syracuse string together anything offensively in the third inning. Syracuse took until the fourth to tally its third hit of the day on a single into right field by Kayla Sigala. However, with two outs already on the board, Breen’s lineout ended any potential threat.
Cano then faced trouble. Holt singled down the left-field line, her second time reaching base. Then pinch-runner Hailey Pirkey advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Pirkey then cruised into third due to a passed ball from SU catcher Taylor Davison, all with just one out on the board.
Still, Cano prevailed, getting Ullensvang to pop out to Burney at shortstop and punching out Reagen London on four pitches. The rally-killer hyped up the Orange’s bench, but they again faltered.
Angie Ramos singled with one out before Burney walked. With runners in scoring position for SU for the first time since the second inning, Flores grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to match Cornell’s momentum crusher.
Tulua gave the Orange a spark in the sixth, but back-to-back deep flyouts extinguished the chance, leaving her stranded. That’s all Cornell needed to get going.
Emma Harshberger led off the sixth inning by grounding out to shortstop, bringing Holt up to the plate. She went yard.
Despite Syracuse hanging around with Cornell for all but one inning, Holt’s dominant 2-for-2 day at the plate willed the Big Red to victory. Syracuse’s offense, which had recently begun to show promise, fell quiet at the wrong time. And while Cano’s effort in the circle kept the Orange within striking distance, their bats couldn’t capitalize.
