Mason softball took the mound for the second day of the three-day Cherry Blossom Tournament held at the George Mason Softball Complex. Mason lost both games, pitchers duals, to Cornell 1-0, and Albany 3-1.

In the first game, Cornell starter Alyson Onyon gave up only three hits in her six and 2/3 innings earning the 1-0 win against the Patriots. She hit a batter but retired 11 of the first 12 batters, including five strikeouts. The Patriots Stephanie Maher pitched a complete game, recording one strikeout and giving up six hits in the one-run contest.

Cornell scored their only and winning run in the third inning as Linda Laeufer got the Bid Red started with a two-out double over the leftfielder Alyssa See. Jenny Edwards followed with a shot that hit the left center wall scoring one run with the double.

In the fourth, Chritina Villalon hit a one-out infield single to get the Big Red a base runner in the fourth inning. Sam Creamer hit a grounder to second baseman Mary O'Connor who tossed it to shortstop Davies then to first base for the double play to end the inning.

With two out in the fourth inning Mason recorded its first hit, Samantha Barney smacked a single over the second baseman. Onyon recorded her sixth strikeout of the game and Katie Rynex popped up to end the inning.

Cornell started the 6^th inning at the top of their batting order. Third baseman Tori Rodriguez threw out the first batter recording one of her five putouts in the game. Kristen Towne got on base after an error by second baseman O'Connor, but no harm was done after Mason leftfielder Alyssa See stole a potential base hit by Erin Keene with a diving snag for the third out.

Patriots Alyssa See got on with an infield hit down the third base line in the sixth. Tori Dudley hits the first pitch over the third baseman's head for a single to mount a scoring threat, but Samantha Barney grounded out to end the inning.

The Patriots last chance to get on the board came in the final inning. Rachael Davies drew a one-out walk. Emily Lafferty entered the game and drew a two-out walk to give Mason two runners. Lauren Marx came in for relief and recorded a strikeout on O'Connor to end the Patriots rally.

Cornell improved to 5-5, after splitting their two games at the tournament, losing to Bowling Green State University earlier in the day. The Patriots fell to 6-17 and have lost three straight at the weekend tournament.  

Mason versus Albany

Allie Weiser took the mound for the Great Danes and Mason's Tiffany Harvell in the second game for each team's on the day. Both pitchers pitched went three-up, three-down to start the game.

In the second inning, Albany got on the scoreboard first as Lauren Alcorn got on base with a grounder up the middle that shortstop Davies dove to stop the ball from entering the outfield. Harvell struck out Kylie Apostolina. Jess Tate hit the first pitch at her at-bat up the middle for a single. Alexa Toole hit a blooper single over first base that land just fair scoring Albany's first run of the game. Diane McDowell popped out to pitcher to end the inning.

Brooke Blankenship led off the fourth with a single up the middle giving Mason their first hit of the game. Reagan Doiron advanced Brooke Blankenship to second on a bunt. Davies took a swing at the first pitch hitting a grounder and moving the runner to third. Lafferty walked giving the Patriots runners on first and third for Megan Blank, but she ended the rally with a hard hit grounder to the Danes shortstop for the final out.

Fifth inning Mason's O'Connor led off with a double to left field. Cori Prince's bunt single advanced the runner to third. Dudley hit a hard grounder to short and Toole committed an error, as O'Connor crossed the plate knotting the score at one apiece. Brittany MacFawn entered the game at pitcher for Albany with no outs and two runners on base. She got Alyssa See to bunt foul for the first out and struck out two more to end the inning.

After a lead-off single by Diane MacDowell and a follow-up bunt single by McFarland the Patriots made a pitching change in the fifth inning. Pitcher Casey Herring threw a wild pitch, then Taylor Franich hit a ball in foul territory in left field that was caught, both runners scored on the tag, the first runner ahead of the throw to home and the  other runner scored on an errant throw back to third.

Trying to add some insurance runs in the seventh, Kylie Apostolina hit a one-out double to left center gap and Tate walked with two outs to give the Great Danes two base runners. Megan Blank playing third base fielded a grounder by MacDowell to end the threat.

MacFawn retired the Patriots in order in the seventh. Cori Prince popped up and she struck out the next two Patriots batters to end the game.

The Patriots fall to 6-18 with two games remaining in the tournament for Mason, Sunday morning against Bowling Green and the last game of the tournament at 3:45 p.m. against Cornell.