WHO: Softball at Massachusetts
WHERE: Amherst, Mass.
FINAL SCORE: UMass 8, Mason 0
KEY PLAYERS: Liz Seymour – 1-2
| |
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
R
|
H
|
E
|
|
George Mason (14-12, 2-2 A-10)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
|
UMass (8-18, 2-2 A-10)
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
7
|
X
|
8
|
9
|
1
|
WHO: Softball at Massachusetts
WHERE: Amherst, Mass.
FINAL SCORE: UMass 4, Mason 1
KEY PLAYERS: Julia Czarnecki – 1-3, 1 run
| |
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
6th
|
7th
|
R
|
H
|
E
|
|
George Mason (14-13, 2-3 A-10)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
5
|
2
|
|
UMass (9-18, 3-2 A-10)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
X
|
4
|
5
|
1
|
Amherst, Mass. – After suffering a heavy defeat in the first game against the University of Massachusetts, George Mason University's softball team could not respond in the second game and only managed a consolation run late on Saturday afternoon.
After a three-up-three-down top of the first inning, good defensive plays from senior pitcher Sarah Kleinfelter and sophomore shortstop Liz Seymour stranded two Minutewomen on base and kept the zeroes on the scoreboard. In the top of the second inning, freshman first baseman Samantha Zaccari was the first Patriot to reach base on an error by UMass' shortstop Jena Cozza. In the bottom of the inning, Kaycee Carbone covered three bases on Ashton Wince's double to center field and broke the deadlock. Manassas, Va. native Wince had the chance to add to the lead but was thrown out at home by Seymour.
It was namely Seymour who was credited with Mason's only hit of the game in the top of the fourth, but UMass followed up with a huge inning to settle the game. RBI singles from Tara Klee, Kaitlyn Stavinoha and Cozza increased UMass' lead to 4-0 and prompted Mason's coaching staff into a pitching change. It didn't get any easier for the Patriots as the first batter who freshman Gabriella Lopez was up against – Taylor Carbone – hit a grand slam to make the score 8-0 UMass. Shortly after, the Minutewomen's pitcher wrapped up the game with another three-up-three-down inning in the top of the fifth.
Junior second baseman McKenzie Jones got the Patriots going with a hit in the top of the first, but she could not get into scoring position. Mason's freshman pitcher Marina Vitalich also gave up only one hit before the fourth inning, which again proved crucial to the outcome of the game. UMass' Taylor Carbone homered to center field to open the scoring in the second game while Wince flied out to center field for an RBI to score Klee and double the Minutewomen's lead.
UMass added two more runs on two hits in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-0, but the Minutewomen's defense could not shut out Mason on the day. Senior left fielder Julia Czarnecki singled to start the top of the seventh and later advanced to third on an error by UMass's third baseman. The Clayton, Calif. Native then made the most of Seymour's groundout to second base and crossed home plate for the Patriots' only run of the day and the final score, 4-1.
STAT BREAKDOWN
-Mason improved at bat over the course of the day, hitting a better .192 (5-26) in the second contest, but still combined for only .142 (6-42) in the doubleheader, as opposed to UMass' .350 on the day.
-The Patriots committed one more error than the Minutewomen, 3-2.
-Twenty-one combined runners were left on base in the two games, 11 of them Patriots.
NEXT ON THE DIAMOND
With Sunday's series finale being canceled due to inclement weather, Mason will now return home to prepare for Wednesday's non-conference doubleheader against Maryland-Eastern Shore. First pitch for the opening game at the George Mason Softball Complex is set for 3 p.m.
