Feb. 23, 2008
Mason-UCF Box Score
ORLANDO - The George Mason softball team was in action Saturday in a pair of games at the University of Central Florida Tournament and was unable to register its first win of the young 2008 season, falling to Drake in an extra-inning heartbreaker, 1-0, while dropping a 10-1 decision to the host Golden Knights. Mason fell to 0-4 on the season following the day's action.
Mason's second game of the weekend pitted the Patriots against the Drake Bulldogs. The game, which was originally scheduled for 9 a.m., was interrupted by a rain delay to inclement weather in the area. Halted in the third inning with no score, the two teams resumed play several hours later. The scoreless tie held up through the standard seven innings.
However, the Bulldogs converted the game-winning run with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth. Following Olympic tie-breaking rules, Jenna DeLong began the inning on second base. She advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a pair of Bulldogs was walked, Kristin Birocci singled to drive in the go-ahead run and end the game.
Brynne Dordel (3-0) picked up the win for Drake, striking out 13 batters while allowing just four hits in a complete game. For the Patriots, freshman Whitney Bullins (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing the game-winner in the eighth inning.
In the final game of the day, Mason took on the host Golden Knights. Each team scored a run in the first inning, as UCF used a Breanne Javier RBI double to plate the game's first run. However, the Patriots tied the contest when junior Kelsey Mack stole second after being issued a walk and scored on a throwing error by catcher Abby McClain. Mack would represent the lone Patriot baserunner through the first four innings, as the Patriots were held hitless until freshman Ashli Breau connected on a single up the middle in the bottom of the fifth.
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights used a five-run third inning to pull away from Mason for good, highlighted by a pair of RBI triples. UCF added to their total in both the fifth and six innings by scoring two more runs in each frame. Mason would total just one more hit as junior Alison Bryan singled in the sixth inning. Junior Paige Krystofinski (0-2) was charged with the loss, while the Golden Knights' Allison Kime improved to 6-3 by picking up the win.
Mason completes play at the UCF Tournament on Sunday when it faces Birmingham Southern at 2 p.m. in the tourney's second-to-last game.
