A wild final sequence defined Friday afternoon’s game at Harrington Athletics Village. 

Ultimately, that sequence—combined with the six innings that came before it—yielded a 4–1 loss for Boston College softball (11–28, 2–11 Atlantic Coast) in its series opener to Syracuse (13–16, 2–9). The two teams sit at the bottom of the ACC standings. 

Trailing 4–1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Eagles managed to generate three base runners thanks to two singles and a walk, putting the Orange on notice that its advantage was in doubt. During their final at-bat, the Eagles had two close chances to either tie or take the lead. 

On the first pitch of Janis Espinoza’s at-bat, she smoked a fly ball down the right-field line that appeared to bounce off Kendall Gaunt’s glove onto the white foul line and then into foul territory. Despite three Eagles crossing home plate for what would have been a bases-clearing double to tie the game, the umpire called the ball foul.

“They did everything they could in that moment,” BC head coach Beth Krysiak said. “At the end of the day, we shouldn’t leave it up to it being a close enough game where the umpire can decide it like that.”

Later in the at-bat, Espinoza ripped a ball into left field that went over the wall in foul territory. Finally, Madison Knight threw a pitch for a called strike three to conclude the game, handing the Eagles their fifth consecutive loss. 

The visiting Orange took no time putting up a crooked number, scratching a one on the scoreboard in the first inning.

Jadyn Burney, the Orange’s leadoff hitter, got on base after being hit by a pitch. After advancing to second on a wild pitch and stealing third, Burney crossed home plate thanks to Madison Knight’s RBI single. Despite Syracuse loading the bases later in the inning after a pair of walks, the Eagles escaped the jam by forcing a lineout.

The Orange threatened again with runners on the corners in the top of the third, as the Eagles sat still scoreless. In response to the scoring threat, however, Nicole Riddell made a diving grab in the right-center gap to silence the Orange and keep the score at 1–0.

“[Riddell has] been making great defensive plays all year for us,” Krysiak said. “She’s been a great momentum shift out there in the outfield, so we expect her to keep doing that all year long for us.”

In the bottom of the third, Adriana Martinez ripped a ball to left field that hit off the top of the wall and resulted in a two-out double. But in the very next at-bat, the Orange’s Julianna Verni responded by pitching a strikeout to keep the Eagles scoreless.

After leaving two ducks on the pond in the bottom of the fourth, the Eagles broke the seal in the bottom of the fifth to even up the score.

After a walk and a fielding error from Burney, the Eagles were able to quickly place the pressure on the Orange’s defensive unit. After Abby Ptak and Emma Knight executed a double steal, Knight slid into home on Verni’s wild pitch. The Eagles looked to take the lead after another wild pitch on BC’s next at-bat, but the umpire called Ptak out on a bang-bang play at home. 

The Eagles were aggressive on the base paths throughout the game.

“That was something we talked about in our scout meeting that they do often, especially with that pitcher on the mound,” Krysiak said. “Our players were really ready for it, looked for it, and they took advantage.”

Even after the Eagles tied things up, the Orange took command of the game with a three-run seventh inning. In the first two plate appearances of the inning, Gabby Lantier notched a single, and Burney forced a walk. After a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, pinch-hitter Madison Knight cranked a three-RBI home run to left field, giving the Orange a strong cushion.

Madison Knight had been on a hot streak coming into Friday’s matchup, totaling five RBIs, a home run, two doubles, and five runs in her last four games. She finished the day with four RBIs in her team’s win.​

The Orange was on the doorstep of strengthening its lead in the top of the seventh, loading the bases after singles from Gaunt and Lauren Fox. The Eagles put a stop to the bleeding, though, forcing a popout with the bases juiced to limit their deficit to three.

The Eagles’ offense couldn’t generate a response in the bottom half of the frame, however, as Verni and Madison Knight combined for a strong day on the mound for Syracuse. They gave up no earned runs and walked four batters while forcing 15 strikeouts. Verni nearly went the whole distance, allowing five hits and pitching 13 strikeouts in her 6.1 innings of action.

On the Eagles’ side, sophomore pitcher Bailey Kendziorski threw 81 pitches and gave up three earned runs in 5.1 innings.