March 28, 2009

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

TOWSON, Md. - The George Mason softball team hit the road for the first time in Colonial Athletic Association play this season on Saturday and was unable to come away with a win, as Towson took both games of the doubleheader against the Patriots, 6-0 and 6-4 in eight innings.

Mason (13-16, 0-5 CAA) was denied its first CAA win of the year, while the Tigers improved to 17-9 and 4-1 in conference action.

In the first game, Towson and pitcher Shannon Johnston limited Mason to just one hit as they dealt the Patriots a 6-0 defeat. Junior Becky Anderson took the loss after tossing a complete game and allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out eight.

Both teams were held hitless until the third inning, when after retiring the Patriots in order in the top half, Towson plated two runs on a two-RBI single to right field by Emily Gould.

Two innings later, with the no-hitter still in play, the Tigers added four more runs to open the advantage to 6-0. A Sammi DiPompo single up the middle scored two runs, and she along with Gould would cross the plate later in the inning.

While the Tigers were done scoring, Johnston tallied 20 outs before freshman Tori Dudley's two-out single to right in the top of the seventh inning ended the bid for a no-hitter. However, a groundout ended the inning and the contest.

After a break, the Tigers got on the scoreboard first in the second game again, when Erika Stasch singled through the left side to score Meaghan Clark. Mason answered back with a two-run home run by freshman Miranda Cranford in the top of the third inning.

The Tigers tied it up in the fifth inning, using an RBI fielder's choice by Stef Streets to knot the game at 2-2. The teams traded runs in the sixth, as freshman Morgan Davis led off the inning with a solo home run to left field before Mindy Bean singled to right field in the bottom half, scoring Stasch.

Neither team scored in the seventh inning, sending the contest into extra innings, where Davis blasted her second home run of the day, a shot to left field with two outs to put the Patriots ahead, 5-4. However, Towson scored the equalizer in the bottom half on a RBI sacrifice fly by Bean and the next batter, Gould, homered down the left field line to secure the victory for the Tigers.

The Patriots will look to avert the sweep on Sunday when the two teams take the field at 1 p.m. for the series finale.