GREENSBORO, N.C. - The George Mason softball team (2-2) split their two contests on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. at the North Carolina A&T Aggie Invitational.
The Patriots earned a 4-2 win against the Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson before falling 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning to the North Carolina A&T Aggies.
Game 1: Fairleigh Dickinson (1-4) vs. Mason (2-1)
In game one, the Patriots started off slow, but were able to take control of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Fairleigh Dickinson struck first, scoring a run off a Patriots throwing error in the top of the second inning. Mason then capitalized on a throwing error made by the Knights in the bottom of the second inning to bring home two unearned runs.
In the top of the third inning, a wild pitch sent a runner home for the Knights. Both runs scored by Fairleigh Dickinson in the game were unearned, coming off errors by the Patriots.
The score remained tied until the Patriots were due up to bat in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore
Sydney Bales was able to gain the advantage as she reached second base on a Knights throwing error. A single from sophomore
Marlaina Bozek and a triple from senior
EJ Bankson scored the Patriots two runs.
The pitching effort from sophomore
Carly Cooper was enough to hold off the Knights, earning the victory for the Green and Gold. Cooper, 2-0 on the mound this season, faced 26 at-bats and threw five strikeouts.
Game 2: Mason (2-2) vs. North Carolina A&T (6-4)
In the second contest, in a true come back from behind effort, the Patriots tie the game 5-5 in the top of the seventh inning before falling to the Aggies 6-5.
North Carolina A&T started the game strong scoring four runs in just the first inning. The Aggies earned their first run off an RBI single, advancing the base run at second to home. With the bases loaded, the Aggies scored three more runs off a 3 RBI double to center field.
Freshman
Alexandra Anderson made her first career start on the mound for the Patriots, but was relieved by graduate transfer
Cheyenne Van Pelt after the fourth run was scored.
The score remained tied until the bottom of the fourth when the Aggies hit an RBI single to make the game 5-0.
Unlucky on the offensive end, the Patriots were not able to score until junior
Maddy Myers hit an RBI double to send senior
Taylor Dadig home to earn the run for the Patriots.
In the top of the sixth inning, Mason scored three runs to come within one of the Aggies. A sacrificial bunt from Bankson earned her an RBI as it brought home Bozek. Dadig then hit a double out to center field advancing senior
Amber Verstynen home and freshman
Hayley Shifflett to third base. With the bases loaded, the fourth run was earned off a walk on Myers, automatically advancing Shifflett home.
The Patriots made for quick work in the bottom of the sixth, collecting three straight outs to force a decisive seventh inning.
Marlaina Bozek got the seventh inning started with a single up the middle before advancing to second off a sacrifice bunt from sophomore
Zoe Vozick and to third off a wild pitch from the Aggies. During freshman
Jordan Anderson's at-bat, Bozek was thrown out at third from a fielder's choice.
With runners at second and third with two outs left in the top of the inning, Bankson earns the run after reaching a full count to load the bases. Mason scores the tying run of the game off another wild pitch thrown by the Aggies.
After coming back from a 5-0 deficit to tie the game, Van Pelt gave up an RBI double two the second batter faced in the inning after walking the first. Efficient on the mound in her second appearance,
Cheyenne Van Pelt (0-2) threw seven strikeouts in the loss.
UP NEXT
The Patriots will travel to Greenville, S.C. to play in the Furman Tournament Feb. 25-27, facing off against Iona, Furman, and Presbyterian.
