Syracuse drops both games in Houston Challenge doubleheader

Syracuse (3-6) lost both games of its Friday doubleheader to open the weekend at the Houston Challenge, dropping a close game against No. 20 Texas Tech (9-3) before falling 8-0 to Houston (8-4).

Freshman Catie Dobbs retired the first three batters she faced in the top of the first in the first start of her Syracuse career. Syracuse followed suit in the bottom of the inning as all three Orange batters retired in order.

At the top of the second, Dobbs walked Maddie Westmoreland to open the inning, and a Zoe Jones home run followed that gave the Red Raiders a 2-0 lead. Syracuse followed similarly in the second inning: a walk by Neli Casares-Maher was followed by an error that let Alex Acevedo score. A home run by Toni Martin made the score 3-2, Syracuse.

Dobbs shined for most of the afternoon, retiring 12 of the next 13 batters and striking out four. She gave up a two-run home run in the sixth inning, giving Texas Tech a one-run lead with two innings left to play. She retired the next three Texas Tech batters, but Syracuse couldn’t come back and lost 4-3.

The Orange offense struggled against the Red Raiders, with only four runners reaching base and only one after Martin’s home run in the second. In total, Texas Tech struck out nine batters. Rebecca Clyde — who batted 7-16 the previous weekend — went 0-3 with two strikeouts in the first game.

Then, Syracuse’s pitching imploded in the second game. Alexa Romero struck out the first batter of the game before walking the next batter and giving up an RBI double on the third. Romero then loaded the bases with two outs but managed to get out of the jam and limit the damage to one run. 

Romero’s struggles continued — giving up two runs in the second inning and giving up one more in the third — before she was pulled prior to the fourth inning and Miranda Hearn entered. 

In the fourth inning, Hearn hit a batter, walked another and gave up a three-run homer that extended Houston’s lead to 7-0. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, she gave up an RBI double that started the mercy rule and ended the game, 8-0.

With just one hit by Jaime Barta, Syracuse had its worst offensive performance of the season against Houston. Five batters struck out over five innings of play.

Syracuse continues at the Houston Challenge tomorrow with games against Louisiana Tech and Princeton.