• George Mason shuts out Dayton twice for its fourth and fifth win in a row.
• Sophomore Bekah Ansbro tosses her first complete game shutout of the season and strikes out a career high 11 batters in game one.
• RS-junior Jess Middleton chips in two hits in game one to push her then-hitting streak to five games.

 
GAME ONE FINAL: George Mason 6, Dayton 0
Winning Pitcher – Bekah Ansbro (9-8) – Losing Pitcher: Jessica Weaver (5-8)
 
GAME TWO FINAL: George Mason 2, Dayton 0
Winning Pitcher: Haellie Gordon (10-10) – Losing Pitcher: Manda Cash (12-7) – Save: Bekah Ansbro (3)
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason collected two enormous wins against third-place Dayton on Saturday afternoon, and did so by not allowing a single Flyer to touch home plate. Thanks to stellar pitching from sophomore Bekah Ansbro and freshman Haellie Gordon, the Patriots won game one 6-0 and game two 2-0.
 
Ansbro threw her first complete game shutout of the season and punched out a career-best 11 batters on her way to the victory. The sophomore tallied 14 total whiffs on Saturday and exceeded the century mark for strikeouts this season, sitting at 105. During this stretch of 10 victories in the last 11 contests, Ansbro has registered 49 strikeouts over 40.1 innings (8.55 K/7) and has posted a 1.04 ERA.
 
Gordon threw 5.2 strong innings in game two and paved way for Ansbro to get the four-out save. While she struck out three, Gordon didn't allow a single walk and only threw 74 pitches.
 
"The girls are doing a great job. We've talked about all year long, we're going to be good, it's just a matter of when, and it's coming at the right time," head coach Joe Verbanic said. "They are playing their rear-ends off and are playing fantastic. We're pitching great, playing good defense and hitting the ball hard."
 
Ansbro began game one with a perfect 1-2-3 inning while grabbing two strikeouts right out of the gate, one looking and one swinging.
 
After three and a half scoreless innings, the Patriots' bats broke through in the bottom of the fourth. It began when George Mason loaded the bases and got on the board with a Marissa Butts five-pitch walk. The next hitter, junior Jess Curbeira, dropped a bloop single into right field that scored two more runners and put the Green and Gold on top 3-0.
 
The Patriots had another productive showing the following inning. RS-freshman Adriana Erickson added another run in the bottom of the fifth with a double to straightaway center field. Two batters later, she scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 5-0.
 
The final run of the ballgame game in the bottom of the sixth with RS-junior Jess Middleton adding an RBI to her two-hit day. The 6-0 lead was plenty for Ansbro as she struck out the side in the seventh to secure her career day in the circle.
 
Gordon mirrored Ansbro by keeping the Flyers off the scoreboard in her outing and didn't allow a baserunner until the second inning. She pitched two 1-2-3 innings, one being the opening frame and one being the fifth.
 
In addition to managing the pitching staff in game two, Miah Wilson made her presence known behind the plate. The Ohio native threw out a runner trying to steal second base in the top of the third, and picked off a runner from third in the top of the fourth.  
 
Neither team could push runners across the plate for four and a half innings with both pitchers dealing. The Patriots got both runs when sophomore Sydnee Wells reached base on a fielding error that plated two. It was the only scoring play of the game and it put George Mason up 2-0.
 
At 74 pitches and two outs in the sixth, Gordon paved way to Ansbro for a four-out save. In her second appearance on the afternoon, Ansbro added two more strikeouts to her day's work and inked her third save of the season – as well as a 2-0 game two win to complete the doubleheader sweep.
 
NEXT ON THE DIAMOND
 
The Patriots return to play Sunday afternoon to wrap up the three-game set with the Flyers. The game is the last one this season played at the George Mason Softball Complex, so senior Brooke Sullivan will be honored as a part of the annual Senior Day ceremony set for approximately 11:55 a.m.