FAIRFAX, Va. - A late seventh-inning rally would not be enough for George Mason softball to defeat local rival Georgetown on Wednesday at the George Mason softball complex. The Hoyas outscored the Patriots 5-2. With the loss Mason falls to 7-17 on the season and the Hoyas advance to 11-20.
Lauren O'Leary held the Patriots to only one hit through the first six innings crippling Mason's ability to get on the scoreboard and allowing the Hoyas runs to go unanswered till the seventh.
Samantha Giovanniello, who reached on a single up the middle, scored the first run of the game putting the Hoyas ahead 1-0 in the first off a Shikara Lowe single.
In the second inning, Georgetown capitalized on a throwing error by Brooke Blankenship which moved Megan Hyson to third and Elyse Grazino to first with only one out in the inning. Next at bat, Giovanniello flied out to center field which allowed Hyson to score advancing the Hoyas lead to 2-0. Cristina Fletcher added another run for Georgetown in the fifth bringing the score to 3-0.
The Hoyas cushioned their lead to 5-0 with Giovanniello and Fletcher scores in the sixth inning. Giovanniello, who in her at bat singled to left center, moved to third after Casey Herring walked the next two batters. With the bases loaded, Alexandria Antilla was hit by a pitch allowing Giovanniello to touch home plate. Hannah Slovacek then flied out to centerfield and C.J. Semones would be out at second but not before Fletcher reached home, scoring the fifth run for the Hoyas.
The Patriots rallied in the seventh inning scoring two run off two hits but it would be too late to overcome the score deficit. In the first at bat of the inning, Brook Blankenship hit a double up the middle to put the Patriots in their best scoring position of the game. Megan Blank then brought Blankenship around with a RBI single putting Mason in the board for the first time in the game. Blank scored the second run off an Amanda Barney at bat, who reached on a fielder's choice.
Hannah Slovacek lead the Hoyas with two RBI's and was 2-for-3 at the plate. Mason's three hits of the game came from Blankeship, Blank and Caitie Warren.
Mason returns to action this weekend for a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series with UNCW. The series will open on Saturday with a double-header at 12 p.m. and all games will be held at the George Mason softball complex
