March 4, 2006
Box Score
Fairfax, Va.--The Patriot Classic, being hosted by George Mason, started Saturday morning and the Patriots dropped a 9-6 decision to Mount St. Mary's in the opening game. Mason falls to 0-10 on the year, while The Mount evens its record at 2-2.
MSM scored five runs in the first inning and Mason scored its first run of the afternoon in the third as freshman Ciera Jones (Vienna, Va.) connected on a double to centerfield to send sophomore Amanda Bach (Chesapeake, Va.) home after she singled to shortstop. Heading into the fourth inning down 6-1, freshman Kelsey Mack (Reading, Pa.) scored for the Patriots after sophomore Lesley Hassen (Virginia Beach, Va.) smacked a double to right centerfield to earn one of her four RBI on the afternoon.
In the top of the fifth, sophomore Emily Miller (Springfield, Va.) reached on a fielder's choice and scored as Hassen was walked when the bases were loaded. Jones, who was 3-for-3 in the game, hit her second double of the day in the sixth to drive freshman Ali Bryan (Midland Park, N.J.) home and forced MSM to change pitchers from junior Reanna Tuczynski to freshman Jamie Fowler.
Mack, who was 3-for-4 at the plate, connected on a double in the seventh and freshman Paige Miller (McLean, Va.) mimicked Mack and also hit a double, to which both scored after Hassen hit a single and advanced to second on the throw. The Patriots, who were considered the visiting team, did not score any more runs in the top of the seventh and fell short to the Mount, 9-6.
Sophomores Amber Straube (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Arielle Weinkofsky (Oakhurst, N.J.) split the pitching duties down the middle as each had three innings of work on the mound. Straube saw action in the first three and gave up five earned runs off of eight hits, while walking two and striking out three of the 19 batters she faced. Weinkofsky gave up one earned run off of three hits, while walking one and striking out two MSM players. Tuczynski, who earned the win for The Mount, pitched the first 5.2 innings and gave up four earned runs off of nine hits and walked three Patriots.
Mason's first scheduled game of the day against Niagara was cancelled.
The Patriots will face Cornell (1 p.m.) and Mount St. Mary's (3 p.m.) in the closing day of the Patriot Classic on March 5 at George Mason Field.
