PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The
Patriots took the third game of their three game series with Drexel on Sunday,
winning by a score of 13-4 in five innings.
Mason scored their first runs of the game in the second
inning when third baseman Tori Rodriguez drew a two out walk and designated
player Tiffany Webb was hit by a pitch on consecutive at bats. Leadoff hitter Tori Dudley then doubled to
center field, scoring Rodriguez on the hit and allowing Webb to score on a
throwing error by the center fielder.
Drexel responded in the bottom half of the second inning by
scoring two runs off three hits and one Patriot error. However, Mason was able to stay consistent by
scoring another run in the third inning by way of an RBI single by Katie Rynex
to center field, scoring freshman standout Brooke Blankenship, who led the
inning off with a walk.
The Dragons turned the game in to a back and forth battle
early on by scoring another two runs in the bottom of the third inning off a
two run homer. The Drexel home run put
the Dragons ahead of Mason by a score of 4-3 heading in to the top of the 4th
inning.
The Patriots were able to take over the game in the next two
innings, scoring five runs in the top of the fourth and the top of the fifth
inning.
Webb led off the fourth inning by reaching base on an error
by the second baseman on a bunt attempt. Dudley followed Webb by singling to
the shortstop to give Mason two runners on base with nobody out. Senior left fielder Alyssa See then sacrificed
the two runners in to scoring position, allowing Blankenship to hit a RBI
single to center field. Emily Lafferty
followed the Blankenship single with a RBI single of her own that also scored
an additional run on a fielding error by the right fielder. Standout senior Rachael Davies added to the
inning by hitting a two run homer to center field, scoring herself and
Lafferty.
After batting around in the fourth inning, Webb led off the
fifth inning by striking out but reaching base on a wild pitch and then
stealing second base. Dudley then sacrificed
Webb to third base and See drew a walk, once again putting two runners on base
with less than two outs. Blankenship was
able to take advantage of another opportunity by doubling to center field,
scoring Webb and advancing See to third base.
The next batter was Lafferty who got her second hit of the day by
blasting a three run homer to center field, scoring herself, Blankenship and
See. Right fielder Samantha Barney added
to the inning by doubling to center field, scoring Davies who had reached base
by hitting a single through the left side of the infield two batters earlier.
Pitcher Miranda Cranford was able to hold Drexel scoreless
in the last inning, forcing an early ending to the game due to the run
rule. Cranford picked up her first win
of the season in her complete game performance.
Mason will play Virginia on Tuesday in a makeup game from
earlier in the season that was postponed due to inclement weather. The Patriots will then play host to Georgia
State next weekend in their last regular season conference series of the year.
