Freshman O’Hara’s no-hitter highlights up-and-down weekend for Orange
Photo/Mark Nash
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The Syracuse softball season got off to a historic start when freshman pitcher Sydney O’Hara threw the program’s seventh no-hitter in the first start of her collegiate career.
O’Hara struck out 12 over six innings of work in SU’s (2-3) 9-0 win over Austin Peay (1-4) in the opening round of the Mardi Gras tournament in Mobile, Ala. The Syracuse pitcher also contributed at the plate, collecting three hits and a pair of RBI’s.
In the nightcap of the doubleheader, the Orange made three errors and struck out 12 times against South Alabama (5-0) pitcher Hannah Campbell in a 2-1 loss.
Junior pitcher Lindsay Taylor took the loss in her first start of the season, despite yielding only one run in five innings of work. SU freshman catcher Nicole Lundstrom hit a home run to collect the lone RBI for the Orange in the contest.
In its second day of action, Syracuse would need to rely on Lundstrom’s bat once again. She placed a single through the right side of the infield in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat University of Alabama-Birmingham (1-3) 3-2 in nine innings.
Senior first baseman Jasmine Watson hit a two-run home run in the second inning, to give SU an early 2-0 advantage. Taylor rebounded off her loss the day before to pitch five near-perfect innings of relief, yielding only one hit in the span to collect her first win.
In a rematch against South Alabama, O’Hara was unable to replicate her mastery on the mound in an 8-0 mercy-rule loss to the Jaguars. The Orange offense was handicapped by South Alabama junior pitcher Farish Beard, striking out 13 times and collecting only one hit in the game.
In the Mardi Gras Tournament finale, SU made five errors in a 12-3 loss to McNeese State (3-2). Syracuse was able to take a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning on back-to-back home runs by Watson and junior second baseman Julie Wambold.
Six unearned runs came across to score for the Cowboys as they scored 11 unanswered runs from the fifth inning on.
Syracuse has the week off before traveling Conway, S.C. for the Kickin’ Chicken Classic. The Orange faces Purdue, Coastal Carolina, Towson and La Salle.
compiled by Connor Grossman, staff writer, cmgrossma@syr.edu