March 11, 2009
Game One Box Score: NSU 1, Mason 0
Game Two Box Score: Mason 9, NSU 7
NORFOLK, Va. - The George Mason softball team traveled to Norfolk State on Tuesday afternoon for a doubleheader against the Spartans, with each team earning a victory at the NSU Softball Field. The Spartans won the first game, 1-0, before the Patriots bounced back with a 9-7 victory to improve their record to 10-9.
In the opening game, the Patriots could muster just three hits off of NSU starter Alyssa Velazquez, who struck out six batters en route to the complete-game shutout. Junior Becky Anderson (6-4) took the loss for Mason in a complete game performance as well.
The first two Patriot batters reached to open the game, but three straight swinging strikeouts ended the Mason threat in the top of the first. Neither team would move a runner into scoring position again until the third, when Danielle Wright reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, and scored on an RBI single by Rebecca Barnes.
Mason's best chance to tie the game came in the top of the sixth, as senior Alison Bryan led off with a single and was sacrificed over to second base. However, a liner to shortstop turned into an inning-ending double play. In the seventh, the leadoff hitter again reached, this time a Morgan Davis single, but another twin-killing by the Spartans ended the threat.
In the second game, it was the Patriots who jumped on the early lead, scoring five runs in the first two innings. Bryan led off the game with her first home run of the season, and two more runs came in on an RBI sacrifice fly by freshman Tori Dudley and a run-scoring single by freshman Miranda Cranford.
Freshman Rachael Davies hit a bases-loaded single to score the fourth Mason run in the top of the second inning, and an RBI fielder's choice by Davis made the lead 5-0. NSU answered back by pulling within one run off of four unearned runs in the bottom of the second, and tied the game in the third inning with an RBI single by Jamie Raab.
Mason, though, found a response in the fourth inning with a four-spot, including a Dudley RBI single to right and the first career home run for sophomore Anush Mooradian, who drove in three runs with the blast.
Two Spartan runs came in the bottom of the fifth on RBI hits from Candice Vasquez and Marlene Harding, but Cranford prevented any further scoring as she improved to 3-2 on the season.
Mason is back in action as they continue their Tidewater trip with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Tuesday at Hampton University.
