FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason softball team (9-6, 1-0 A-10) earned their first conference win over St. Bonaventure (1-9, 0-1 A-10) on Sunday afternoon.

The Patriots shutout the Bonnies 4-0 in conference opening play after the games were rescheduled due to inclement weather that landed in Fairfax on Saturday.
 
Mason and St. Bonaventure started the game at a standstill, both ending their respective parts of the first inning in just three batters.
 
The Bonnies started the second inning a little rocky but were able to gain momentum and load the bases of a walk, a single, advancing on wild pitches, and a hit by pitch. With two outs, the Patriots were able to prevent a runner from scoring on a groundout from shortstop to first base.
 
In the bottom of the second inning, Mason earned their first run of the game from an RBI single from freshman Hayley Shifflett.
 
The Green & Gold struck again in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring two more runs. Sophomore Marlaina Bozek hit a single and then advanced to third base when junior Rachel Warrens hit a single of her own.
 
Warrens then stole second base to load runners on second and third. Mason was able to score their two runs with junior Haley Taormina reaching base on an error by the second baseman.
 
Mason added one more run to their total to their column when Bozek hit an RBI single to bring senior Taylor Dadig home. Dadig started the inning off with a single of her own, stole second, and then advanced to third to put herself in scoring position.
 
Unable to garner offensive momentum of their own, St. Bonaventure put up a great hitting inning in the top of the sixth but it was not enough to advance a run home.
 
Mason was able to make for quick work in the top of the third, fourth, fifth, and seventh innings by getting all three outs in the first three batters due up to bat.


The pitching effort from sophomore Carly Cooper was enough to hold off the Bonnies, earning the victory for the Green and Gold. In her best game thus far in the season, Cooper, 6-1 on the mound this season, faced 23 at-bats, tallying seven strikeouts and three hits. The sophomore pitcher threw in all seven innings for the Patriots.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Patriots will close out the series with St. Bonaventure with a doubleheader on Monday Mar. 14 with first pitch slated for 11 a.m.