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Down to Syracuse’s final out and trailing by two runs, Madison Knight stepped up to the plate with runners on second and third. The freshman blasted the first pitch she saw from North Carolina’s starting pitcher high and deep to right field. The ball soared above the head of right fielder Skyler Brooks and over the fence, giving Syracuse a 5-4 advantage.

Knight’s late-game heroics helped the Orange (14-20-1, 4-11-1 Atlantic Coast) split a doubleheader against the Tar Heels (18-25, 7-9 ACC). SU fell behind by six runs in game one, and its late-inning rally came up short, losing 7-5. In the second contest, a costly error by the Tar Heels on what would have been the final out gave Knight a chance to bat. Her second homer of the season put the Orange in front, then Knight struck out two batters in the bottom of the seventh before Lindsey Hendrix recorded the final out in the circle.

In game one, Syracuse jumped out to an early one-run lead. After a scoreless first inning, Knight led off with a single to center field off UNC’s starter Lilli Backes. Laila Alves kept the line moving when she reached on an error, sending Knight to second. Rebecca Clyde stepped up to the plate with one out and runners on the corners. SU’s third baseman lined a double to right, scoring Knight and putting the Orange up 1-0.

But the Tar Heels responded quickly with a two-out rally in the bottom of the second. With runners on first and second, Carsyn Snead cracked an RBI single to left field off Syracuse’s starter, Lindsey Hendrix. An error by the Orange allowed a second runner to score, putting UNC in front 2-1. Three straight base hits from Alex Brown, Bri Stubbs and Abby Settlemyre plated two more runs. Five consecutive batters reached base safely with two outs in the inning, and the Tar Heels led 4-1 after two.

North Carolina added two more to its lead in the third. Destiny Middleton doubled in a run, then an Isabela Emerling sacrifice groundout back to Hendrix scored the sixth run for the Tar Heels. Syracuse’s starter got Snead to ground out for the inning’s third out, but the Orange trailed 6-1 going to the fourth.

Both teams were retired in order in the following inning. Angel Jasso grounded out to shortstop, Knight struck out, then Alves flew out to left. Hendrix followed with her first perfect inning in the circle, holding the deficit to five.

After UNC added another run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth, the Orange strung together four runs on four hits in the sixth. Kelly Breen started the rally with a one-out single to center field. Kate Dorazio took over as a pinch runner and advanced to second on Jasso’s single. Alves then cleared the bases on a double to right field, scoring two runners. Taylor Posner stepped up and blasted her second home run of the season, a two-run shot to get the Orange within two. Clyde ended the inning with a flyout, but the UNC lead was cut to 7-5.

However, in the seventh, Syracuse could not crack the scoreboard against North Carolina’s closer, Talia Hannappel. Ryan Starr reached on an error and then stole second base. But Tessa Galipeau popped out to shortstop for the second out, then Breen grounded out to short, ending the game. It was Hannappel’s second save of the season for the Tar Heels, who took game one.

Syracuse grabbed an early lead in game two, just like it did in the game prior. Madelyn Lopez led off the contest with a walk, then Galipeau smashed a double to right field, putting two runners in scoring position for Breen. The sophomore did her job by grounding out to second off UNC’s starter, Kenna Raye Dark, plating Lopez for the game’s first run. However, Galipeau was left stranded at third base after consecutive outs by Jasso and Knight.

Knight started in the circle in SU’s second game and kept the Orange in front early on. The freshman allowed a leadoff single to Brown in the first but quickly retired the next two batters. Alves then picked off Brown attempting to steal second for the third out of the inning. In the second, Knight worked around Skyler Brooks’s one-out triple by forcing fly-ball outs from Lexi Godwin and Middleton.

After Syracuse left the bases loaded in the top of the third, the Tar Heels cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame. Settlemyre launched a two-run double to center field, putting UNC in front. Godwin’s sacrifice fly scored the third run, then Middleton’s RBI single plated the fourth runner of the inning. Kiersten Licea also tried to score on the hit, but Posner threw her out at the plate for the third out. UNC took a commanding 4-1 lead after three.

But the Orange responded when Alves led off the fourth inning with a double. Clyde advanced the runner to third on a flyout, then pinch-runner Gabby Lantier raced home on an error. Galipeau popped out to end the inning, but SU narrowed the UNC deficit to 4-2.

Both squads remained scoreless until the top of the seventh. Galipeau’s third hit of the game, a one-out single, put pressure on the basepaths. After Breen reached on a fielder’s choice, the Orange were down to their final out when Jasso entered the batter’s box. The center fielder hit a routine ground ball to third base, but the throw from the Tar Heels got by Licea at first base. Knight then proceeded to crush a homer to right, giving SU its first lead of the afternoon. In the bottom of the frame, Knight struck out the first two batters. Hendrix entered in relief and punched out Brown for the final out of the game, securing a split for the Orange.

Published on April 15, 2023 at 5:26 pm