KINGSTON, RI – The George Mason softball team defeated Rhode Island 10-7 today to sweep the conference series. The Patriots won both games yesterday 8-4 and 8-1.
After two scoreless innings, the Patriots were the first team to get on the board with four runs in the third inning. Casey Price, Breanna Boyd, Julia Czarnecki, and Sarah Solano each picked up an RBI in the inning.
After scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth, Rhode Island then added three more runs in the fifth to tie the game at 4-4. The game remained at 4-4 through the seventh inning, forcing extra innings in the final game of the series.
In the top of the ninth, Brooke Blankenship hit a three-run homerun to right center to give the Patriots a 7-4 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning. However, Jenna Cubello then hit a clutch three-run homerun for the Rams to tie the game at 7-7 and force a tenth inning.
With two runners on base for the Patriots, Blankenship crushed another three-run homerun to right center to give Mason a 10-7 lead in the 10th. That homerun would end up being the winner as the Patriots shut down the Rams in the bottom half of the 10th to pick up the sweep.
Sarah Kleinfelter and Christina Gabriele combined to pitch the 10 innings and gave up just five earned runs.
Up next the Patriots travel to Mount St. Mary's for a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 22 at 3 p.m.
