April 17, 2010

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

The George Mason softball team bounced back from a series-opening 6-2 loss at Drexel with a commanding 10-1, six-inning victory in game two of the Patriots' doubleheader against the Dragons in Colonial Athletic Association action on Saturday afternoon at Drexel Field.

Mason stands at 4-7 in conference play and 14-18 overall while the Dragons are 14-17 and 4-7 in CAA competition following Saturday's action.

In game one, the Dragons took command early with four runs in the first two innings. An RBI double by Ashley Botelho in the bottom of the first was followed by a bases-loaded, three-RBI double down the left field line by Amanda Bachmann in the second frame. Two more runs came across for DU in the fifth inning, a solo home run by Paige Collings and a Botelho triple which allowed her to score on a throwing error by the Patriots, making the score 6-0.

Mason eliminated the shutout threat with a pair of runs in the top half of the sixth inning, as freshman Emily Lafferty's first career home run cleared the centerfield fence and also brought in sophomore Katie Rynex, who led off the inning with a walk. Mason got no closer as Hillary Allen (8-7) earned the win in seven innings of work. Becky Anderson fell to 7-4 as she took the loss.

In game two, it was the Patriots who took charge early, as Rynex's sacrifice fly to left field in the first inning scored leadoff batter Tori Dudley, who singled to start the game.

The score stayed at 1-0 through four innings before two Patriots scored in the fifth, thanks to a sacrifice fly by sophomore Rachael Davies and an RBI base hit by Rynex. Mason's offense came alive in the sixth inning with seven runs, as Dudley began the scoring with a bases-loaded RBI single. Sophomore Alyssa See posted two more runs with her single to third base, and she was followed by Davies' run-scoring hit to center. Rynex closed out the scoring as she tallied two more RBIs on a base hit to left, making the score 10-0.

Collings came up with her second home run of the day in the bottom half of the sixth to cut the gap to 10-1, but after Botelho flew out to center field the Patriots picked up the run-rule victory.

Sophomore Miranda Cranford pitched a complete game in her fifth victory of the year, allowing four hits while Katrina Gaudier (3-5) took the loss. Mason's offense was led by two-hit games from Dudley, See, Davies, and Rynex, while Kelly Downes had two of the Dragons' four hits.

The teams will take the field once more to decide the series victor when the rubber game takes place Sunday at 11 a.m.