Syracuse Splits Opening Day Doubleheader In Jacksonville

Friday, February 10

Jacksonville, FL.

10 AM

Syracuse University

0-1

IUPUI

1-0

IUPUI

Syracuse

Syracuse Splits Opening Day Doubleheader In Jacksonville

2/10/2023 10:26:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

JACKSONVILLE, FL. - Syracuse softball began the 2023 season by splitting its opening day doubleheader in the River City Leadoff at the UNF Softball Complex. The Orange lost its first game of the season against Horizon League opponent IUPUI and ended opening day with a 10-4 win against tournament co-hosts North Florida.

All four Syracuse pitchers saw action against the Jaguars and Ospreys. Syracuse's offense tallied 19 hits and 15 runs between the two contests.

Junior outfielder Angel Jasso led the Orange at the plate on opening day, recording a combined four hits, two runs batted in, two walks and one home run against IUPUI and North Florida.

Game One vs. IUPUI:

Jackie Pengel debuted for the Orange with her first career start in the season opener. The Avon, Connecticut native went 2.1 innings, striking out one batter and allowing one run.

'Cuse got on the scoreboard early against IUPUI, as patience in the batter's box paid off. Jasso started the 2023 campaign strong from the leadoff spot, doubling to deep left field for Syracuse's first hit of the season. Freshman infielder Ryan Starr followed Jasso's line drive with the first hit of her Syracuse career. After Madison Knight's walk, Jasso scored off a wild pitch. Starr doubled Syracuse's, stealing home on another Jaguar wild pitch.

IUPUI tied the game up in the top of the third inning off two hits and a Syracuse error. Pengel allowed one-run, as junior Lindsey Hendrix relieved the freshman in the third inning.

In the bottom of the third, Syracuse quickly regained its lead. Kelly Breen sparked a two-run rally with a single that slipped between first and second base. After right fielder Taylor Posner forced a walk, Laila Alves hit a single to force the bases loaded. Infielder Rebecca Clyde drew a walk, bringing in the game-tying run. Angie Ramos grew the Orange lead to two with a line drive single.

The back-and-forth scoring continued, as IUPUI hit a homerun in the fourth inning, sparking a three-run rally. The fifth inning began with IUPUI holding a one-run lead, 5-4.

Syracuse battled back, as Jasso lined a single into left field, driving home Ramos to draw the score even, 5-5.

IUPUI catcher Kayla Freidberg continued to produce at the plate, as her third hit of the game drove in the game-winning run in the top of the fifth, 6-5.

The Orange finished with five runs, eight hits and two errors against the Jaguars. Jasso and Ramos both logged multi-hit games and an RBI.

Game Two at North Florida:

Syracuse's offense got started quickly against North Florida. Jasso crossed the plate for the first run off an Osprey error, as Posner drove in the next runner off a single. In the following at-bat, Alves drove in two more runs, extending the Orange lead to four after one inning, 4-0.

In the following inning, Jasso expanded Syracuse's lead with a home run to deep right field. The Angleton, Texas native has 10 home runs in her career. The Orange continued to knock runs in, as Alves recorded two more RBIs to push the lead to seven, 7-0.

Knight continued her impressive performance against North Florida, as she brought home two runs with an RBI single in the top of the third, 9-0.

After North Florida scored its first run of the game with a single from Chloe Culp, Ramos recorded her second RBI of opening day, restoring Syracuse's nine-run lead, 10-1.

The Ospreys would add three more runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but a strong relief performance from Hendrix would secure the Syracuse win, 10-4.

Jasso ended the game with a 2-3 performance at the plate, hitting a solo home run and single with one walk. Alves led Syracuse with a career-high four RBIs, going 2-3 at the plate with two singles and one walk. Knight also logged her first multi-hit effort with two singles and two RBIs.

In her first start in the pitching circle, Knight went five innings, striking out four batters while allowing four runs and six walks. In her two-relief innings, Hendrix didn't allow a hit or run, striking out three batters along the way.

OF NOTE:

Kate Dorazio, Knight, Pengel and Starr all made their Syracuse debuts.
Jasso hit the 10^th homerun of her career against North Florida
Knight logged her first career hits, walks and RBIs from the batters box and first strikeouts from the circle.
Alves recorded a career-high four RBIs against North Florida

UP NEXT:

Syracuse heads to the Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex tomorrow for the second day of the River City Leadoff. The Orange have a rematch against IUPUI at 9 am and play tournament co-host Jacksonville at 12:30 p.m.