March 10, 2007
Box Score
Fairfax, Va.--Mason's softball team (5-6) opened up the first day of the Mason Invitational with a 7-6 loss to Youngstown State and bounced back with a 6-3 win over Morgan State Saturday afternoon at George Mason Field.
In the opening game, junior Kristin Dickel connected on a single in the bottom of the second and crossed home plate after junior Kat Winter hit a sacrifice fly. Junior catcher Lesley Hassen followed Dickel with a bunt single and, freshman Julia Pillow, who pinch ran for Hassen, scored after sophomore Rachel Hastings hit a single, which put the Patriots down by one to the Penguins, 3-2.
The Patriots headed into the bottom of the fifth down by a score of 5-2, and Mason responded with four runs scored. Sophomore Ali Bryan reached first after hitting a single and eventually scored, while sophomore Kelsey Mack was hit by a pitch and scored after Hassen sent one past the leftfielder. Freshman Shaniqua Steele, who pinchran for Dickel in the fifth spot, scored and so did Hassen after Winter smacked a double to left center, which gave Mason a 6-5 advantage.
The Penguins responded by scoring two runs in the sixth after Autumn Grove hit a homerun. Mason was unable to score in the final two innings to finish with a one-run loss to Youngstown State.
Junior pitcher Arielle Weinkofsky was in the circle the entire game for the Patriots and gave up seven earned runs off of nine hits, while striking out four and walking three of the 34 Penguins she faced. Karlie Burnell pitched seven innings for YSU and gave up six runs, two earned, off of eight hits, while walking five and striking out five Penguins.
Against Morgan State, Mack was third in the line-up and with two outs and no one on in the top of the first, she reached on a walk. Anderson, who had a 3-of-4 showing at the plate against the Bears, was next and connected on a triple. This brought Mack home and Anderson scored on the throw to put the Patriots up, 2-0. The Bears responded with two runs of their own in the same inning.
In the top of the fifth, the Patriots had a 3-2 advantage and helped cushion the lead with three more runs scored. Junior Amanda Bach, Anderson and Hastings all scored, while Bryan collected two RBI. MSU was able to cut the deficit to three in the final innings, but could not get any closer to the Patriots.
Anderson improved her record to 3-2 on the mound as she only gave up three earned runs off of five hits, while walking three and striking out three in seven innings of work. Porsche Boddicker pitched five innings for the Bears and gave up six runs, three earned, off of seven hits. Karlana Ingram pitched the last two innings and gave up one hit.
Mason will play in two games on March 11, beginning with a match-up against Brown at 1 p.m. at George Mason Field.
