March 11, 2008

Mason-BU Box Score
Mason-USF Box Score

TAMPA - The George Mason softball team kicked off its week in Florida in less than optimal fashion, dropping a pair of games to the Boston University Terriers, 5-4, and the University of South Florida Bulls, 14-5, on Tuesday in Tampa. Mason's record fell to 4-10 after the day's events.

In the Patriots' first game in the Sunshine State, Mason took an early two-run lead in the first inning on the strength of a home run by sophomore Ciera Jones, which also brought junior Kelsey Mack home after she walked to reach base. Freshman starter Whitney Bullins held the Terriers at bay until the fourth, when BU knotted the game on a two-RBI single from Nora Militz.

BU took its first lead of the day in the sixth inning with another run-scoring base hit from Militz, who finished 3-for-4 in the game. Mason answered right back in the bottom half of the inning, taking a 4-3 lead after sophomore Becky Anderson doubled to right-center field. However, the Terriers plated two runs on a home run by Shayne Lolito to regain the lead in the seventh, and Megan Currier came in and retired the Mason side in order to capture the victory.

Bullins was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs on ten hits, while BU starter Kelley Engman earned the win after six innings of work.

Later in the evening, Mason took on the host Bulls and ran into a potent USF offensive attack which broke open a scoreless contest in the third with 11 runs in the inning. The Bulls saw each of their nine batters reach base at least once in the frame, and chased sophomore starter Paige Miller out of the game after allowing the first five runs.

Mason did respond in the bottom of the fourth inning with five runs of their own to cut the gap to six, with an RBI single up the middle from junior Jill Chen, an RBI fielder's choice from senior Katlyn Winter, another two-RBI double from Anderson, and a pair of RBIs earned by junior Alison Bryan as she reached on an error.

However, USF answered right back with a three-spot in the top of the fifth, and after Mason could not score any more runs in the bottom half, the game was called due to the run rule. The Bulls' starter Kristen Gordon picked up the victory after tossing 3.2 innings.

Mason continues play at the USF Spring Break Tournament on Wednesday, when it faces Indiana at 9:30 a.m. and Ball State at 1:30 p.m.