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Maybe it was the seven games canceled so far this season, the utter loss of the UMBC Tournament from its schedule the weekend before conference play was set to begin (replaced by Sunday’s double header against UAlbany), or the roughly 45 less innings and 188 less at-bats Syracuse softball players pitched and took compared to their average Atlantic Coast Conference opponent entering the weekend.

Or maybe the 11 runs that separated Syracuse (11-8, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) and No. 10 Florida State (23-4, 1-0 ACC) in SU’s 12-1 loss Friday evening was simply another painful reminder there’s a real rift between the Orange and their Women’s College World Series-contending conference counterparts.

Friday was SU’s fourth run-rule loss this season, ending after the Orange failed to cut the Seminoles’ lead to less than eight in the top of the fifth. The Seminoles did much of their damage the half inning prior, rallying with two outs and no one on.

Mathematically, it was Isa Torres who dealt the fatal blow, dropping a two-run double into shallow left field to put the Seminoles up 9-1. But in an inning where FSU’s batters chased two different SU pitchers from the circle, turned the lineup over and plated seven, it’s tough to pinpoint any particular play as knocking the game loose.

You’d be left picking between Torres’ double and a couple of towering home runs. Hayley Griggs’ two-run shot to left center accounted for the first two of the Seminoles’ seven runs scored in the fourth, while Jaysoni Beachum’s three-run round-tripper over the center field wall closed out the scoring, putting an exclamation point on the rally.

Perhaps it came earlier in the game. When Florida State responded to Syracuse’s best — and only — inning of offense by loading the bases to lead off the bottom of the third. Then, it scored two with the same small-ball approach employed by SU’s lineup (singles, walks, bunts, sacrifice flies). FSU starter Jazzy Francik followed that by shaking off whatever frustrations Syracuse batters gave her in the third to sit down the Orange in order in the top half of the fourth, stifling Syracuse’s momentum.

Perhaps even before that, during a tumultuous first inning that delivered an early 3-0 deficit for the Orange. SU starter Julianna Verni was hit around, facing all nine members of the Seminoles’ lineup in that first frame.

Or perhaps the game was never in hand for the Orange. Verni struck the first batter she faced. Later, in the fourth, with two outs on the board and no Florida State runners on the bases, her second hit batter of the game gave FSU’s lineup life and set up Griggs’ two-run homer.

Jackie Pengel replaced her and threw just 13 pitches, 11 of them balls, before exiting. Sydney Jackson came in and gave up the Seminoles’ second home run of the inning. In total, Syracuse pitchers threw more balls (48) Friday than strikes (44).

The Orange managed just one hit, a Vanessa Flores liner up the middle to lead off the top of the second. Harmony Jackson’s hard-hit ground ball that sneaked through the right side of the infield, scoring Gabby Lantier from second in the top of the third, was ruled as an error made by the Florida State first baseman.

It’s especially gutting for a program like Syracuse. SU’s all-time ACC record sat at 51-100 entering this year’s conference slate: 51-101 now. A program that in 2022 and 2023 won its first two ACC tournament contests, before pushing then-No. 1 seeds Virginia Tech and Florida State to narrow 2-1 and 4-1 losses, respectively. A program that beat then-No. 16 Duke 3-2. A program that in its last meeting against Florida State, over a year ago in May 2024, achieved the opposite result of Friday evening: run ruling the Seminoles in five innings.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Syracuse has yet to deliver a win against higher-end competition this season, but it was also never granted rematches against No. 3 Texas (14-0 loss, Feb. 13) and No. 24 South Carolina (15-2 loss, Feb. 6). The Orange get two more cracks at the Seminoles this weekend, playing a game apiece on Saturday and Sunday.

And with practically all of SU’s conference schedule still ahead of them, it’s not too late yet in the year to point out the small moral victories often baked into even the most lopsided losses.

Like how the defense regrouped after Rose Cano hesitated at third in the bottom of the first inning, looking to first base before throwing late and off-target to home, allowing the first of FSU’s runs to score. Several Syracuse fielders made sterling defensive plays later in the game. Gabby Lantier extended her arm all the way out to snag a fly ball hit over her head in center. Lauren Fox dove to her left to grab a line drive hit between first and second bases. Madison Knight’s spun on-time throw from short to first, even if that last one didn’t count for an out as Verni’s pitch was ruled illegal.

Or, at the plate, the top of the third inning, where SU batters succeeded in frustrating Francik, a pitcher who entered the evening with a 1.96 ERA, working a couple full counts, walking twice, sacrifice bunting, scoring, and causing FSU to confer in the circle.

Syracuse still needs to put it all together. They have plenty more opportunities, but 12-1 in five innings Friday made it clear there’s plenty of ground, too, between Syracuse and the top of the ACC.

Published on March 13, 2026 at 11:29 pm
Contact Gabe: gfewen@syr.edu