WHO: Softball vs Rhode Island
WHERE: Fairfax, Va.
FINAL SCORE: Rhode Island 2, Mason 0
KEY PLAYERS: Brooke Sullivan, 1-3, Sarah Kleinfelter, L (3-4), CG, 1ER, 2BB, 7H, 2K

WHO: Softball vs Rhode Island
WHERE: Fairfax, Va.
FINAL SCORE:  Mason 4, Rhode Island 0
KEY PLAYERS: Victoria Webster, 1-2, 2RBI, 1BB, Brooke Sullivan, 1-2, 2R, 1BB,  Samantha Zaccari, 2-3, 1R, 2RBI, Marina Vitalich, W (7-5), CG, 5H

Fairfax, Va. – George Mason University's softball team split their doubleheader against Rhode Island, dropping the first game 2-0 before defeating the Rams, 4-0.

After a four pitch walk of senior outfielder Casey Price to begin game one, Rhode Island's Becca Roger's settled in and retired the next nine Patriots before allowing her second and final walk of the game in the fourth inning.

Her opposite, senior pitcher Sarah Kleinfelter, battled extremely hard all game only giving up one earned run and two walks. Kleinfelter went the distance but the Patriots were unable to crack Rogers and put any runs on the board to support the senior Patriot in the circle.

The Patriots were without a hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth until sophomore catcher Brooke Sullivan stepped up to the plate. It was clear the sophomore would not allow the Patriots to go hitless and Sullivan promptly hit a hot ground ball just far enough to the right of a diving Rhody shortstop. The Patriots were unable to build on this display of heart but the move potentially invigorated the team going into game two.

Mason would jump out to a 3-0 advantage over the Rams due in part to a heads up play by junior second baseman McKenzie Jones. After Rhode Island's right fielder made the second out of the inning, Jones tagged up and slid into second base safely. Sullivan would then draw a walk to bring up freshman Samantha Zaccari.

The Placentia Calif. native came through with a single that scored Jones and gave freshman designated hitter Victoria Webster an opportunity to contribute in the clutch. Webster would smack a single of her own which would score both Sullivan and Zaccari.

That would be plenty of run support for freshman pitcher Marina Vitalich, who pitched a complete game shutout with relative ease. The freshman pitched out of a jam in the fourth inning with runners on the corners and extinguished another URI chance when the Rams had a runner in scoring position in the sixth.

In the fifth, the Patriots had back to back doubles from Sullivan then Zaccari which yielded the team their fourth run of the contest. After allowing a one out hit in the seventh, Vitalich slammed the door shut on a Rhody comeback. Vitalich induced a lineout to Jones at second base for the final out to give Mason their first Atlantic 10 victory of the season

The Patriots will return to the diamond tomorrow at noon in the rubber match of their three game set with the Rams. Mason will try and emulate the success they had in game two to give themselves a winning conference record early in A-10 play.

STAT BREAKDOWN

-The heart of Mason's lineup (4, 5, 6 hitters) in game two went 4-7, with 2BB, 4RBI's and 3R.

-Mason's pitching duo of Klienfelter and Vitalich combined to give up only one earned run over the two contests.

-In game one, both teams left a combined 10 runners on base but in game two, both teams left a combined 15 runners on base.

-Rhode Island's Rogers made life extremely difficult for the Patriots at the plate, throwing seven strikeouts, inducing five fly outs and only allowing three base runners total in game one.

NEXT ON THE DIAMOND

The Patriots face Rhody tomorrow for the series deciding contest at noon.