NORFOLK, Virginia - The George Mason softball team picks up two wins in a doubleheader at Norfolk State.  This marks the fourth win in a row for the free-hitting Patriots.  The Patriots improve its record to 12-13 on the season, while Norfolk State drops to 11-15.

GAME 1

The Green and Gold started off the closely contended doubleheader with an extra-innings win (9).  The Patriots were actually down 5-2 going into the seventh and final inning of the game. 

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Julia Czarnecki and Tiffany Webb both singled to get onto base.  Reigning A-10 Player of the Week, Brooke Blankenship then hit a double to left field, bringing in both runners.  With the Patriots down by one with two outs and Blankenship on second base, Casey Price hit a clutch single to right center for the game-tying RBI.

McKenzie Jones started on second base in the ninth inning and advanced to third after a bunt single from Czarnecki.  Webb then hit into a fielders choice to bring in Jones.  Meanwhile, on that same play, the Spartans had a throwing error and allowed Czarnecki to also come home and give the Patriots the lead at 7-5.

The Patriots would go on to win the game by that score, thanks in part to a spectacular pitching performance from Christina Gabriele.  Gabriele pitched 7.1 innings and gave up zero earned runs on only two hits.  Gabriele improved her record to 3-4 on the season.

Robyn Mitchell and Kayla McNair led the Spartan offense with two RBI each.  McNair also hit a home run for Norfolk State.  Meanwhile, Jamie Schulle pitched all nine innings for the Spartans while giving up five earned runs on 10 hits.

GAME 2

The Patriots followed its extra-innings win with a hot start to the second game.  Mason scored four runs in the first inning from zero hits.  Julia Czarnecki and Tiffany Webb both reached base on a throwing error, leading to Czarnecki scoring on a wild pitch.  After Brooke Blankenship and Casey Price both walked, Webb scored on a passed ball.  Blankenship then scored after the passed ball on a wild pitch.  After all of that, Price eventually scored after Lauren McColgan hit into a fielders choice.  All in all, the Patriots led 4-0 after the end of the first inning.

After picking up one run in the second inning and two more in the third, the Patriots were leading 6-0 going into the fourth inning.  In the fourth, Katherine Marsh tripled to right center to pick up what would become the game winning RBI (8-7).

Casey Herring picked up the start and the win for the Patriots in the second game. Herring pitched five innings, giving up just four earned runs with four strikeouts.  With the Spartans down by three in the bottom of the sixth, Stephanie Maher came into to pitch for the Patriots.  Maher gave up only two earned runs on two hits to pick up the save for the Green and Gold.

Alina Moriarty and Mikki Haury both led Norfolk State on offense with two RBI each in the game.  Meanwhile, Stephanie Wheatley came in for relief in the first inning for Liz Riley and gave up four earned runs on 10 hits.  Riley gave up four runs, but none of them were earned.