After a 14-run loss on Saturday, perhaps it seemed the worst was over for Boston College softball in its weekend series against Syracuse.
And although, indeed, Sunday’s game didn’t go nearly as badly as Saturday’s, that didn’t stop the Eagles (21–26, 5–16 Atlantic Coast) from losing yet again, as the Orange (27–19, 6–15) capitalized on timely hitting and BC’s defensive miscues to win 5–1 and sweep the series.
The game began with a pitcher’s duel, as both BC’s Bailey Kendziorski and Syracuse’s Julianna Verni worked efficiently through the first two innings. Ultimately, it was Syracuse that opened scoring for both teams with a three-run third inning.
Verni retired six of the first eight batters she faced, allowing only one hit—a first-inning single to Hannah Slike.
Kendziorski managed to match her early on, inducing weak contact and stranding a Syracuse runner in the second after Madison Knight’s one-out single was erased by a slick 6-4-3 double play.
Syracuse’s offense took off in the bottom of the third, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring three runs on five hits.
The rally started with Kelly Breen’s leadoff single, followed by Laila Morales-Alves reaching on a fielder’s choice. Gabby Lantier then lined out, but Madelyn Lopez delivered a double to right field that scored Breen and gave Syracuse a 1–0 lead.
Then, Kaimi Tulua hit an RBI single to score Sophia Taliaferro, and Vanessa Flores hit an RBI single of her own shortly after, extending the Orange’s lead to 3–0.
BC had chances to respond but repeatedly came up empty against Verni.
Jordan Stephens led off the top of the fourth with a single, but Verni stranded her at second with three consecutive outs.
Lopez led off the bottom of the fifth with her second double of the day, and Jadyn Burney reached on a throwing error to score Lopez. Flores followed with her second RBI hit—a double to right-center—to make it a 5–0 game.
The Eagles finally broke through in the sixth when Stephens and Abby Ptak both singled, setting up Janis Espinoza’s RBI single to cut the deficit to 5–1. Verni stranded two runners to preserve the lead, though.
BC reliever Kelly Colleran limited further damage, but the early deficit was too much for the Eagles’ offense to overcome.
The Eagles managed just seven hits and no extra-base hits while going 1 of 7 with runners in scoring position.
“I think that seeing progress—at least, I can speak for the pitching stuff—but the same progress throughout the season, especially for someone like Kelly Colleran, it shows we can compete with top teams in the country,” said BC head coach Amy Kvilhaug. “No one outing defines you—you’re not as great as your best outing and not as bad as your worst outing.”
For BC, the loss furthered ongoing offensive struggles, as the Eagles have scored just four runs in their last three games.
Regardless, Kvilhaug spoke optimistically about the team’s postseason and their hopes of making the ACC tournament.
“I do believe that there’s still a chance,” Kvilhaug said. “We might have to rely on other people, which was not ideal. The benchmark for success was going to be to make the ACC tournament. If we don’t make it, that will be unfortunate, and it will be a goal unmet. But, you know, sometimes that’s what life is—goals are unmet.”
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