WASHINGTON – The George Mason softball team split a doubleheader against George Washington, winning 4-3 before falling 3-2. The Patriots most recently won two of three games against St. Joe's this past weekend.
Both teams were scoreless after three innings in the first game until Brooke Blankenship blasted a two-run homerun to left center to take a 2-0 lead. Right before the Blankenship homerun, freshman Liz Seymour doubled to right center to get on base.
However, the Colonials were able to cut the lead down to one in the bottom half of the inning and then take the lead with two runs in the fifth after a Victoria Valos homerun.
Down by one run in the sixth inning, Seymour crushed a homerun to center field to tie the game at 3-3. After both teams were scoreless in the seventh, the game went to extra innings.
In the top of the eighth inning and Mary O'Connor on third base, Blankenship hit a sac fly to right field to score the go-ahead run. Christina Gabriele was able to force a ground out to second base to win the game for the Patriots, 4-3.
Casey Herring got the start in the circle for Mason and pitched 4.1 innings. Gabriele pitched the final 3.2 innings in relief. Sarah Costlow pitched all eight innings for George Washington.
After loading the bases in the first inning of game two, Angela Maioran walked to score the first run of the game. However, the Colonials came back in the bottom half of the inning and scored two runs of their own to take a 2-1 lead.
The Patriots were able to tie the game in the third inning after another Maioran RBI, but George Washington took the lead again in the bottom of the fourth. The Colonials would eventually go on to win the game with a final score of 3-2 to split the series.
Gabriele pitched the first four innings and gave up just two earned runs. Sarah Kleinfelter pitched the final two innings in relief and gave up no hits or runs. Paige Kovalsky pitched a complete game for GW and gave up just three hits and one earned run.
The Patriots continue conference play this weekend when they travel to St. Bonaventure for a weekend series.
