April 19, 2009

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason softball team grabbed the early lead, but the UNC Wilmington Seahawks posted three runs in the sixth inning to lift them to a 3-1 victory over the Patriots in the two teams' Colonial Athletic Association series finale on Sunday afternoon at George Mason Field.

UNCW improved its record to 11-25 and 8-7 in CAA play in recording the sweep over the Patriots, who dropped to 14-29 and 0-15 in conference action.

Junior Becky Anderson (7-19), who took the loss in the circle for Mason, blasted a one-out double to straightaway center field in the second inning for the Patriots' first hit of the day. The next batter, freshman Miranda Cranford, sliced a base hit through the right side of the infield and Anderson beat the tag at home plate to give Mason a 1-0 lead.

That score held up until the sixth inning as Anderson limited the Seahawks to just two hits up through that point. In the sixth, though, Jessie Gunter led off with a triple down the left field line and scored two batters later as Katie Kisner hit an RBI bloop single to left. The next batter, Carly Hughes, gave UNCW the lead it would not relinquish when she took a 3-1 pitch over the right-center field fence, putting the Seahawks ahead 3-1.

Anderson reached on her second hit of the day in the bottom half of the sixth, a one-out single to right field, but the Seahawks retired the next four Patriots in order, including a 1-6-3 double play which ended the sixth inning.

For UNCW, Amanda Davenport earned her second win of the weekend and improved to 6-11 as she limited the Patriots to six hits while striking out three batters. Anderson, who also notched three strikeouts, was joined by freshman Alyssa See in recording a 2-for-3 day at the plate.

The Patriots will look for a return to the win column in their final midweek action of the season, traveling to Emmitsburg, Md., on Wednesday for a 3 p.m. doubleheader with Mount St. Mary's.