FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason softball team (12-27) split in their doubleheader with Maryland (21-21) on Wednesday. The Patriots took the first game by an 8-3 decision and fell 4-3 in the second outing of the afternoon.
The Patriots quickly got on the scoreboard in the first game taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first using a Brooke Blankenship RBI, allowing Julia Czarnecki to score. Czarnecki had reached on a walk.
A three-run second inning from Mason extended the home squad's lead to 4-0 using two hits and two Maryland errors. Lindsay Merriken scored the first run of the inning off a Terp throwing error before Megan Blank launched a triple to right center, driving in Lauren McColgan and Samantha Barney for the 4-0 advantage.
After keeping Maryland off the scoreboard for three innings, the Terps broke through with a run in the fourth. Candice Beards scored after reaching on a double down the right field line. She was brought in off a Corey Schwartz single.
The Patriots, however, quickly answered back with a pair of runs in the fifth for a 6-1 lead. Tiffany Webb, who reached on a bunt single, scored off Regan Doiron's single up the middle before Blank scored the second run of the inning off a wild pitch.
In the sixth inning, Mason cushioned their lead with two more runs to bring the score to 8-1. Both with singles, Webb and Czarnecki scored off a Blank double as Mason took the seven run lead.
The Terrapins tried rallying back in the seventh scoring two runs but it would not be enough to win the game. Lindsey Schmeiser, who reached on a double, was brought in by a Shannon Bustillos double. Beards hit a single to bring Bria Taylor around the bases for the final score of 8-3.
Blank and Webb were both 3-for-4 at the plate and Blank had four RBIs for Mason. Beards was 2-for-3 for the Terps.
In game two of the afternoon, it was Maryland that quickly got on the scoreboard, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Lexi Carroll scored unearned off a fielding error by Mason. The Terps pushed their lead out to 2-0 in the third with Bustillos scoring off a Beard double to left center.
The Patriots cut Maryland's lead in half in the third inning. Czarencki, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored off a Blank double to draw the score to 2-1.
Maryland had an answer, however, in the fifth, taking a 4-1 lead as Beards' single drove in a pair of runs.
Mason rallied in the bottom half of the inning to come within one run at 4-3. Czarnecki and McColgan opened the inning both reaching on walks as a Webb groundout put both runners in scoring position with one out. Maryland brought in a new pitcher to pick up the second out as Blankenship walked to the plate with two on and two out. Blankenship doubled to left center driving in Czarnecki and McColgan as Mason cut the score to 4-3. The Terps worked out of the threat and kept the Patriots scoreless over the final two innings to take game two of the afternoon, 4-3.
Beards was 3-for-3 at the plate and had two RBIs for Maryland.
Mason returns to action this weekend when they travel to Harrisonburg to take on the Dukes of James Madison in a Colonial Athletic Association three-game series beginning Saturday at 12 p.m.
