Syracuse drops rubber game, 6-2, at Louisville

Syracuse (25-21, 9-11 Atlantic Coast) could not take the rubber game of a weekend series at Louisville (32-10, 13-5) Sunday afternoon, falling 6-2 at Ulmer Stadium.

The Orange and Cardinals split Saturday’s doubleheader.

Syracuse pitcher AnnaMarie Gatti was sharp early, retiring the first seven hitters and holding UofL hitless through three innings.

But Gatti could not get out of the fourth inning. After inducing a groundout, she allowed a single, a walk and a pair of doubles. With one out in the inning and UofL up 3-0, Jocelyn Cater relieved Gatti, getting the next two batters on groundouts to end the frame.

In the fifth, Louisville’s Brittany Sims doubled to right center, scoring Megan Hensley and Jessica Adell to make it a 5-0 ballgame. UofL tacked on another run in the sixth.

Gatti took the loss, allowing three runs in 3 1/3 innings of work.

SU scored both of its runs in the sixth, when outfielder Maddi Doane led off the inning with a walk. After Corinne Ozanne singled and Sydney O’Hara reached on an error, Andrea Bombace scored Doane on a fielder’s choice. Two batters later, Alicia Hansen singled home O’Hara to make it 6-2.

Louisville ace Maryssa Becker allowed just one earned run in her complete-game effort, earning her 19th win of the year. Becker also beat the Orange in game one on Saturday, tossing a complete-game shutout.

Despite having one more hit than UofL, the Orange was just 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Syracuse’s next game is at Albany (29-12, 9-1 American) on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.