April 19, 2003

Box Score

FAIRFAX, VA...George Mason dropped a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) softball doubleheader to Hofstra Saturday afternoon. Game scores were 11-4 and 8-2. The Patriots are now 19-17 overall and 4-4 in the CAA, while the league-leading Pride improve to 23-14, 7-1 in the conference.

In the opener, Mason's Dianna Austin and Hofstra's Adrienne Clark were locked into a pitcher's duel until the Pride broke through with a four-run fifth inning. All four runs in that inning were unearned as the Patriots committed a pair of errors, but the outburst was enough to chase Austin from the game. Austin, who took the loss, finished the game with just three hits allowed and four strikeouts, but she walked six.

During the fifth, the Pride, already having the benefit of one Patriot error, loaded the bases with two outs. Another Mason miscue allowed the first run of the game to score and kept the bases loaded before Stefanie Kenney wiped them clean with a three-run double to left-center.

Hofstra tacked on seven more runs in the top of the seventh -- highlighted by a grand slam from Amanda Hallaway and a two-run homer by Lisa Wambold - and was able to fend of a late Mason rally when the Patriots scored four runs in their final at-bat.

For Mason in the seventh, Missy Hartman had a two-run double, Stacy James added an RBI-single and Austin chipped in with an RBI-groundout.

Clark went the duration inside the circle for the Pride, scattering five hits for the win. She gave up four earned runs and recorded five strikeouts and three walks.

Hofstra opened the second game with a three-run first, courtesy of a leadoff home run from Heather Brousseau and a two-run shot from Danielle Stewart two batters later. The Pride added three more in the third and two in fourth en route to the 8-2 decision.

Mason scored its two runs in the fourth when Tasha Galecki hit a two-run homer off the scoreboard in right field.

Wambold hit a double and a triple and drove in three runs for Hofstra, while teammate Tara Ulrich had two hits, including a double.

For the Patriots, James went 3-for-4 and Kim Braxton had a double.

Sara DeAngelis picked up the win after working six innings. She gave up five hits, two earned runs and had four strikeouts to just one walk. Kenney worked the seventh inning, giving up one hit and two walks and recording one strikeout.

Starter Miranda Fox took the loss for Mason, as she surrendered seven hits and seven earned runs in 3.1 innings.

Mason and Hofstra close out their series Sunday with a single game that starts at noon.