SPARTANBURG, SC – The George Mason softball team fell in a doubleheader against USC Upstate this afternoon.  The opening games started off the two-day USC Upstate Tournament with Furman, Radford and Western Carolina as well.  The Spartans took the first game 6-4 and the second game 21-20.

Game 1

The Patriots got off to slow start after USC Upstate hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the first inning.  The Spartans were able to tack on two more runs in the second and the fifth inning to jump out to a 6-0 lead.

However, the Patriots mounted a comeback in the sixth inning after scoring three runs thanks in part to one RBI each for Breanna Boyd, Liz Seymour, and Sarah Solano.  After trailing by just three in the final inning, Mason was able to load the bases after three singles from Julia Czarnecki, Mary O'Connor and Casey Price.  Seymour then singled to left field to pick up her second RBI of the game and bring Mason within two.  However, the Spartans were able to record two straight outs and end the Patriots comeback bid. 

Christina Gabriele got the start on the mound for Mason and pitched 4.1 innings, giving up just two earned runs.  Casey Herring pitched in relief for the Green and Gold and gave up zero hits in 1.2 innings of work.

Lexi Shubert picked up the win for the Spartans after pitching five innings and giving up zero earned runs.  Cheyenne Griffin led the Upstate offense after hitting a two-run homerun in the first inning. 

Game 2

The Patriots started off hot in the second game of the doubleheader against Upstate with a hitting frenzy.  Mason was able to score five runs in the first two innings to take an early lead after RBI from Blankenship, Seymour, Boyd, and Price.  In the third inning, Breanna Boyd hit her first career homerun down the left field line.  However, by the end of the third inning, the game was tied at six.

Mason came out in the fourth inning on fire and scored six runs in total after RBI from Price, Gabriele, Blankenship and freshman Katie Holehouse.  Mason continued its hitting success with three more runs in the next two innings.

However, Upstate mounted a comeback that saw them score nine runs in the sixth inning to take a 17-15 lead going into the final inning.  The Patriots then tied the game at 17 after RBI singles from Blankenship and Gabriele.  With the bases loaded and two outs, Holehouse hit a double to right center to score all of the runners and take a 20-17 lead going into the bottom half of the seventh inning. 

In the bottom of the seventh, the Spartans were able to get three runs and tie the game to force extra innings.  In the bottom of the eighth inning, Landers hit a double to right center for the walk-off RBI.  In total, there were a combined 41 runs, 38 hits, 12 errors, and 13 walks in the game.

Sarah Kleinfelter pitched 5.2 innings for the Patriots and Herring pitched the rest in relief.  Kinsley Jennings, Amanda Storch, and Lexi Shubert all pitched for the Spartans.

The Patriots close out the USC Upstate Tournament tomorrow when they take on Furman at 11 a.m. and then Radford at 5 p.m.