- Patriots split Sunday slate of games; 5-3 loss to Monmouth and 6-2 win over Abilene Christian University.
- Junior Jess Curbeira has another big day, now up to three extra base hits for the team lead this season.
- Sophomore Sydnee Wells homers against Monmouth for the first Patriot roundtripper of the season.
GAME ONE FINAL: Monmouth 5, Mason 3 (
PDF Box Score)
Winning Pitcher: Amanda Riley (1-1) – Losing Pitcher:
Marina Vitalich (0-1)
GAME TWO FINAL: Mason 6, ACU 2 (
PDF Box Score)
Winning Pitcher:
Bekah Ansbro (1-1) – Losing Pitcher: Calie Burris (0-1)
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – George Mason softball wrapped up the Madeira Beach Showcase with a loss to Monmouth and a win against Abilene Christian on Sunday afternoon. The Patriots' hitters put on their best performances at the plate Sunday, specifically junior
Jess Curbeira collecting two hits in Mason's 6-2 win over ACU.
Junior
Marina Vitalich was back in the circle for the Monmouth game, surrendering three earned runs and striking out five in a complete game effort.
The Patriots struck first against Monmouth with an RBI single by
Brooke Sullivan in the top of the first. Sullivan drove in three runs over the weekend and is sitting at the top of the team leader board in that department. However, the lead didn't last for long as the Hawks had a big four-run first inning that was anchored by a Kayla Rosado homerun. Mason looked poised to answer in the top of the second, but was unable to take advantage of two runners on with nobody out and Monmouth escaped the top half of the second up 4-1.
Monmouth added an unearned run in the third to extend its lead to 5-1, but Vitalich was lights out from there - retiring 11 of the next 13 batters on her way to her first complete game of the season.
The early-season trend of the Patriots' bats making noise in the seventh inning or later continued, beginning with an
Alyssa Lawton walk in the top of the seventh to get the leadoff runner aboard. After a fielder's choice swapped
Liz Seymour for Lawton on the base paths,
Sydnee Wells hit her first homerun of the season, the fifth of her career to bring the score to 5-3 in favor of the Hawks. Despite the newfound energy from the homerun, the Patriots were retired in order following Wells' blast and Mason dropped the game to Monmouth 5-3.
Sophomore
Bekah Ansbro got the nod in Mason's second game against Abilene Christian University and threw six innings, allowing only one earned run and struck out four. Ansbro pitched well enough to get her first win of the season.
The Patriots strung together three hits in a span of four batters in the second inning, beginning with a Curbeira double to give the Patriots a runner in scoring position with less than two outs. Moments later, RS-freshman
Miah Wilson drove home Curbeira for the Patriots' first run of the game. Freshman
Marissa Butts' single moments later drove Wilson home and the Patriots led 2-0 after one full time through the batting order.
Mason extended its lead in the top of the fourth with an even better inning, posting four on the scoreboard to take a 6-0 lead. Seymour, Wells and Curbeira hit back-to-back-to-back singles, which led to a big two-RBI double from Sullivan to blow the game wide open. Butts added one more RBI with a sacrifice bunt and just like that Mason compiled a four run, five hit-inning.
With more than enough run support to work with, Ansbro settled in nicely and took care of the Wildcat hitters – logging three 1-2-3 innings in her six innings of work. ACU cut the deficit to 6-2 with a homerun from Holly Neese in the sixth, but Ansbro and
Haellie Gordon closed the door the rest of the way to a 6-2 victory to end the season opening showcase with a win.
NEXT ON THE DIAMOND
Mason (2-3) will participate the Charleston Southern Tournament next weekend before returning to Fairfax for its home opener. The Patriots are scheduled to play Hartford, Charleston Southern (twice) and a neutral site contest with A-10 foe St. Bonaventure. Next weekend's games stretch from Feb. 23-24.
