March 26, 2005

Box Score

The George Mason softball team scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to take the opener of a doubleheader with Delaware, 5-4, but struggled to put together hits in a 6-0 loss in the second game, as Mason split a doubleheader with the Blue Hens but improved to 2-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association.

In the opener, Mason (11-16, 2-1) scored three times in the bottom of the first inning as Delaware starter Jenn Joseph was unable to locate her pitches. She allowed a leadoff walk to Amanda Bach and Stacy James followed the with a single to center, the lone hit of the inning. Emily Miller and Megan Farrell were hit by pitches to score Bach and after a fielder's choice erased James at home, Arielle Weinkofsky and Kristen Dickel walked to make it 3-0.

Delaware (10-13, 1-2) responded with three runs in the second. Barbara Traynor doubled and Kimberly Williams walked and both scored on Natalie Savona's hit to right. Jenna Cooksey committed an error on the play that allowed Savona to go to third. She scored on a Kelley Pastic single, tying the score at 3-3.

Each squad scrapped through single runs after that and the game remained tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh. Stacy James led off the inning with a walk, she stole second and she scored on Weinkofsky's infield grounder when shortstop Kimberly Williams committed an error.

The second game lacked the drama of the first as Delaware jumped ahead early. Allison Borchers singled to lead off the game and Katie Lee walked before they went to second on Jenn Joseph's sacrifice. Michelle Plant's single scored the pair. Delaware added two more in the fourth as Lauren Gardner doubled and scored on a pair of passed balls and Pastic doubled and scored on a Borchers' single, making it 4-0. In the sixth, the Blue Hens added two more. Gardner reached on a fielder's choice and Borchers was hit by a pitch. Katie Lee reached on an error that scored Gardner and sent Borchers to third. Lee and Borchers executed a double steal to make it 6-0.

Carolynn Sloat, who took the loss in the series opener allowing nine earned runs, threw the shutout for Delaware. Borchers was 3 for 5 on the day while James was 3 for 5 for Mason.