Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason softball team (5-5) put on a show for their first day of their home opening weekend by earning two wins.

The Patriots earned a 5-3 victory in the first game of the day before closing out the day with a 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Game 1: Lafayette (3-2) vs. Mason (4-5)
 
In game one, the action on both sides of the bat started off slow, before the Patriots were able to take control of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.
 
Mason struck first, scoring a run off an RBI single from junior Maddy Myers. Sophomore Marlaina Bozek followed Myers RBI single with a single of her own, advancing two runs home, both unearned.
 
In the top of the sixth inning, Lafayette responded back to the Patriots by scoring two runs of their own off a single, both runs were unearned.
 
To seal their victory, Mason scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to give them the 5-2 lead over the Leopards. Senior Taylor Dadig reached base off a fielding error from the pitcher, allowing the two runs to come home.
 
In a last-ditch effort to have a shot to potentially tie or win the game, the Leopards hit an RBI single while the bases were loaded, but only advanced one run home. The next play ended in an out, earning the Patriots their first home victory of the season.
 
The pitching effort from sophomore Carly Cooper was enough to hold off the Leopards, earning the victory for the Green and Gold. Cooper, 4-1 on the mound this season, faced 24 at-bats. Freshman Alexandra Anderson closed out the game pitching 0.1 innings, earning herself the save.
 
Game 2: Lafayette (3-3) vs. Mason (5-5)
 
In the second contest, Mason come out strong, scoring their first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. The Patriots scored their run off junior Rachel Warrens reaching on a fielder's choice, advancing a runner home.
 
Both teams made for quick work in the second and third innings, earning the three outs in four or less batters. The Patriots were able to get the first three batters out in the top of the fourth before ending the streak of outs.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, it looked like the Patriots would be out in four batters before sophomore Zoe Vozick hit the first double of the game, advancing a runner to third base. Senior EJ Bankson followed Vozick's double with one of her own brining in the Patriots next two runs of the game.
 
The quick outs resumed in the fifth inning before the Leopards got hot in the top of the sixth.
 
While the first batter grounded out, the second batter reached base off a single, and advanced off a sacrifice hit. The fourth batter reached base after being walked and the fifth batter reached after being hit by the pitch. The Leopards have two outs while the bases are loaded. The next batter up for Lafayette hits the grand slam, giving them the 4-3 lead over the Patriots.
 
In the bottom of the inning, all three Patriots up to bat earned the three outs. Mason was able to put up a strong defensive effort in the top of the seventh inning, preventing the Leopards from adding to their lead.
 
Two singles from the Patriots put base runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh inning. The next batter up for the Patriots popped out to the shortstop, earning Mason their second out of the inning.
 
Sophomore Marlaina Bozek was up next to bat for the Patriots, a daunting task to ask any batter with two runners on base with two outs in the bottom of the final inning of the game. Bozek stays alive by continuing to foul balls after hitting a full 3-2 count. The second baseman, waiting for the perfect pitch, swung and hit a walk off single that advanced two runs home for the Patriots.

Freshman Alexandra Anderson earned the start in the second game after earning the save in game one. Graduate transfer Cheyenne Van Pelt closed out the game after relieving Anderson, who gave up the Leopard's four runs, in the top of the sixth inning.

UP NEXT
 
The Patriots will continue home opening play on Sunday Mar. 6 in a doubleheader against Lafayette with the first pitch of the day slated for 12 p.m.