March 22, 2003
Box Score
FAIRFAX, VA...George Mason split its pair of games Saturday in its own Patriot Classic softball tournament, defeating Central Connecticut State, 1-0, in its opener before dropping a 6-0 decision to Binghamton in its second game of the day.
Mason is now 10-8 overall on the season. The Patriots open the playoffs tomorrow at 9 a.m. against Brown.
In the first game, Patriot pitcher Dianna Austin tossed a one-hitter and Stacy James delivered an RBI-single for the game-winner.
James drove in the game's lone run when she legged out an infield single with two outs in the top of the second inning, allowing Amanda Ayers to score from third. Ayers started the frame by drawing a lead-off walk, moved to second on a ensuing walk to Kathy Hrycyna and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Austin before James beat out her roller to third.
James finished the game with two hits, while Ayers, Jen Clawson, Missy Hartman and Kim Braxton each had additional hits for the Patriots.
Austin finished the game with two strikeouts and one walk allowed. Jessica Cline took the loss for the Blue Devils, giving up six hits, four walks and an earned run. She also had two strikeouts.
Against Binghamton, Bearcats' starter Michelle Weeks limited Mason to just two hits -singles from Ayers and James. Weeks finished the game with six strikeouts and two walks allowed en route to the win.
Hrycyna took the loss for the Patriots, giving up four earned fives, five overall, in 3.1 innings. Miranda Fox worked the remaining 2.2 innings, recording two strikeouts, two walks and surrendering one earned run.
Binghamton's crushing blow was Marybeth Yerdon's three-run homer, which highlighted a four-run fourth inning. The team added single runs in the second and sixth to close out the scoring.
In other tournament games, Brown defeated St. Francis (NY), 10-2; Stony Brook beat Iona, 2-1 in eight innings; Stony Brook bested Brown, 8-0; Cleveland State won over Binghamton, 4-1; Central Connecticut State beat Cleveland State, 5-2; Iona beat Central Connecticut State, 10-0; Binghamton beat Stony Brook, 4-1 and St. Francis defeated Iona, 3-0.
