FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason softball team (15-31, 3-11) battled their way to split a doubleheader, Saturday, with Colonial Athletic Association-foe Hofstra (30-11, 11-2). Hofstra upended the Patriots in the first game, 2-0. Brooke Blankenship's home run in the second game would give Mason a 2-1 decision win in the second, marking only the second conference loss for the Pride this season thus far.
The Patriots and Pride battled back and forth for five innings before Hofstra broke out and put the first run on the board in the top of the sixth. Caryn Bailey, who reached on double down the right field line, scored off a wild pitch giving Hofstra a 1-0 lead.
Hofstra scored their second and final run in the top of the seventh to bring the score to 2-0. After walking in her at bat, Tori Rocha scored off an Erin Trippi single to left field.
Megan Blank was hot off the bat for the Patriots hitting Mason's only two hits of the game and going 2-for-3. For her twelfth shutout of the season, Olivia Galati was the winning pitcher for the Pride.
The Patriots wasted no time getting on the board in the second game scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Blank continued her hot streak reaching on a single to right field. In the next at bat, Blankenship homered to right center to bring Blank around and give Mason a 2-0 lead.
Both teams held each other off the scoreboard for the next three innings until Hofstra added a run to the board in the top of the fifth. Maggie Hawkins, who reached on walk, was brought around on a Galati double.
Mason made a pitching change, Casey Herring for Christina Gabriele, in the top of the sixth after Bailey as the lead-off batter doubled. Herring walked her first batter but then had two strikeouts holding the runners to second and first. For the third out of the inning, Blankenship caught a foul ball in front of the third base dugout to allow Mason to escape the inning unharmed.
The Patriots put themselves in scoring position in the sixth inning after Lauren McColgan and Tiffany Webb each singled but Mason would be unable to add any insurance runs to the scoreboard.
Hofstra threatened to score in the top of the seventh inning. With two outs on the board, Herring walked the next two batters to put runners on second and first. Herring was able to come through for the third out, getting Bailey to strike out swinging.
Blankenship was 2-for-3 for the Patriots, Gabriele picked up her fifth win and Herring was awarded her third save of the season.
Mason and Hofstra will return to action tomorrow to complete this three-game series at 12 p.m.
