April 3, 2005
Box Score
Fairfax, Va.--The Patriots made history on Sunday as George Mason University's softball team (12-17, 3-2 CAA) defeated Hofstra University (19-11, 1-1) for the first time ever. Mason claimed a 12-11 victory in the first game of the afternoon at George Mason Field and went on to drop a 9-2 decision in the second contest of the double-header. Hofstra, which has won three-straight Colonial Athletic Association Championships and was one win away from the 2004 Women's College World Series, now holds a 10-1 record in the overall series between the two teams.
In the first game of the day, which lasted a season-high three hours, Mason's bats lit up in the third inning as the Patriots scored seven runs to give Mason a 7-3 lead. Mason maintained its lead until the sixth inning when Hofstra tied the game at 11. With bases loaded and two outs, junior Emily Grapel (Manasquan, N.J.) came up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh and, with a full-count showing on the scoreboard, Grapel was walked by senior Adrienne Clark, which drove in the winning run to give the Patriots their first-ever victory over Hofstra.
Senior Stacy James (Leesburg, Va.) was 3-3 at the plate in the first game and scored four runs for the Patriots and also garnered a team-high four RBI. Sophomore Megan Farrell (Medford, N.J.) was 2-4 and scored one run and also earned two RBI, while Grapel was 2-4 and also collected two RBI in Mason's win over the Pride.
Farrell pitched six innings for Mason and gave up 11 runs off of 11 hits, while striking out three and walking three of the 34 batters she faced. Freshman Amber Straube (Virginia Beach, Va.) relieved Farrell at the beginning of the seventh and earned the win since the game was tied when she stepped into the circle and did not allow any runs during her one inning of work. Clark earned the loss for the Pride as she was the last of three pitchers for Hofstra and gave up three runs off of two hits, while striking out four and walking five Patriots.
Farrell was 2-2 at the plate in the second contest and also scored one run for the Patriots in the bottom of the fourth after a double was hit by Grapel to center field, which brought Farrell across home plate. In that same inning, Grapel scored a run after freshman Kristen Dickel (North Wales, Pa.) connected on a single, which put the score at 4-2 in favor of the Pride. Mason would not score again in the second game, while Hofstra notched five more runs in the last three innings to put the final score at 9-2.
Freshman Arielle Winkofsky (Oakhurst, N.J.) was on the mound for the first four innings and earned the loss as she gave up four runs off of six hits, while striking out three and walking four batters. Senior Callie Osborne collected the win for Hofstra as she pitched the entire game and gave up two runs off of four hits, while striking out five and walking four of the 29 batters she faced.
The Patriots will return to action on April 6 when they travel to Baltimore, Md. to face UMBC for a double-header with the first game slated for a 2 p.m. start.
