March 25, 2005
Box Score
The George Mason softball team scored five runs in the fifth to rally from a 3-0 deficit and five more in the sixth to break a 5-5 tie as the Patriots won their Colonial Athletic Association opener on Friday afternoon, defeating Delaware, 10-6. Stacy James was 3 for 4 with three steals and Lesliy Hassen was 2 for 4 with four RBI as Mason improved to 10-15 on the season. The Blue Hens fell to 9-12, 0-1.
Megan Farrell pitched all seven innings for Mason, picking up the win and improving to 6-3 on the season. She allowed six runs but just two of those were earned. Mason and Delaware each committed three errors in the game. Carolynn Sloat (6-5)took the loss for Delaware, giving up nine earned runs on 12 hits in five and one-third innings of work.
Delaware scored three times in the top of the third. Lauren Gardner led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice. Allison Borchers then hit what should have been the second out of the inning to James at short, but James couldn't make the play and Gardner came around to score with the game's first run. Katie Lee singled to put runners on the corners and after a groundout, Barbara Traynor singled to left to make it 3-0.
Mason rallied in the fifth behind six hits, including a home run. Emily Grapel led off with a single and Amanda Bach hit her first collegiate home run to left to make it 3-2. James and Emily Miller followed with singles and a double steal moved them into scoring position. Catcher Natalie Savona committed a throwing error on the double steal and James scored to tie the game. Farrell grounded out to score Miller and give Mason its first lead of the game. With two outs Mason continued to rally. Katlyn Winter singled, Arielle Weinkofsky walked and Hassen singled to make it 5-3 before Sloat was able to get out of the inning.
Delaware tied the game in the sixth after a lead off single by Jenn Joseph and a single to center by Traynor put runners in the corners and Michelle Plant's hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-4. Again Delaware capitalized on a Mason error, this time a throwing error by Grapel at third that allowed Kimberly Williams to reach safely and Traynor to advance to third. Another sacrifice fly, this one by Savona, made it 5-5.
Mason broke the game open for good in the sixth. Bach drew a one-out walk and went to second on a balk. James singled to give Mason the lead and she went to third on a throwing error. Miller singled to score James, and after a Farrell single and a Jenna Cooksey single, Hassen doubled off the centerfield wall to clear the bases and make it 10-5. Delaware scratched out a run in the top of the seventh but Farrell settled down, getting a strikeout and pop up to end the game.
The Patriots and Blue Hens will play a pair on Saturday, as the second game of Friday's doubleheader was postponed due to weather and field conditions. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at Noon.
