JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Despite making multiple defensive miscues, George Mason University's softball team challenged River City Leadoff host Jacksonville University on Friday night, but lost its season opener against the Dolphins 4-1.

GAME NOTES

-Four players made their Mason debuts against the Dolphins. Freshman Alyssa Lawton (LF), Madison Aker (2B) and Sydnee Wells (SS) led Mason's lineup while pitcher Bekah Ansbro recorded her first three innings in the circle.

-Mason (.200) had a total of five hits in the game with Wells the only Patriot with multiple. Designated hitter Madison Ragan had two as well while the other five hits the Dolphins (.226) picked up were distributed evenly among as many players.

-Leadoff hitter Allie McCourt picked up two game-high two of the Dolphins' four RBI.

-Freshman Alyssa Bilodeau (1-0) threw a complete game for JU, while sophomore starter Marina Vitalich (0-1) and Ansbro split the pitching work for Mason. Interestingly, Bilodeau picked up four strikeouts in seven innings pitched while Ansbro had three strikeouts in as many innings.

-Six defensive miscues by Mason resulted in all of the Dolphins' runs to be unearned. Jacksonville, on the other hand, did not commit an error against the Patriots to make for just one error committed in 16 innings played on Friday.

-The Patriots' pitching staff left twice as many runners on base than Bilodeau, 10-5.

HOW IT HAPPENED

-After a clean first inning for Bilodeau, 2016 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie selections Vitalich and sophomore first baseman Samantha Zaccari were the first two Patriots to reach base on walks in the top of the second. Vitalich had a busy latter half of the inning, in which Kristen Griffith first doubled for the first hit in the game and later capitalized on a Mason error break the deadlock. McCourt then batted Makenzie Buss' run which doubled the lead before Vitalich reminded of her freshman self and struck out Danielle Baker to leave two runners on base and prevent further damage.

-Mason recorded its first hit through a double to right field by Wells in the fourth inning. The La Crescenta, Calif. native then advanced to third on a balk and then scored on a wild pitch to bring Mason within one with her first intercollegiate run.

-JU provided a lightning response and made the score 3-1 in the bottom of the same inning as McCourt picked up her second RBI for another unearned run by Buss. Jacksonville was in good position to further hurt Mason with runners at second and third and no outs, but Ansbro and the rest of the Patriot defense did not budge.

-Mason then had a defensively strong fifth inning, in which Ragan doubled to left field but two was stranded on base after Ansbro pitched two additional strikeouts. That was followed by the Patriots' best offensive inning. Back-to-back singles from Aker and Wells put the former in scoring position in the top of the sixth. Redshirt sophomore Jess Middleton continued the streak of singles to keep Mason in position after Aker was played out at third base, but Zaccari grounded out to end the promising inning.

-In the bottom of the sixth, back-to-back bunt singles from McCourt and Baker brought repeated the scenario to bring Jordan Daniels home for JU's final run of the game and join McCourt in scoring position.

-Brooke Sullivan, one of the few veterans in Mason's lineup, singled to give the Patriots some momentum in the seventh inning, but JU's defense did not allow further penetration and completed the sweep of day one of the River City Leadoff after having overcome Appalachian State 5-3 in extra innings earlier.

POST-GAME QUOTES

"We had a lot of first-game jitters tonight and we gave a lot of our young players an opportunity to get those out. I thought our pitching did a great job and we did some good things to show the promise this team has. It is only game one and with every game we play we will grow and improve" - Mason head coach Joe Verbanic

"Six errors speaks for itself. We have to catch and throw the softball much better and I have great confidence we will." 

NEXT ON THE DIAMOND

The Patriots continue their first of two Florida adventures this season tomorrow. They will face Jacksonville once again at 2:30 p.m. but their long day will begin much earlier, at 9:30 a.m. against the College of Charleston.