SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The George Mason softball team (4-2) bounced back from yesterday's shutout loss in resounding fashion, winning both games in Saturday's matchups at the Spartan Classic. The Patriots beat both South Carolina State and Holy Cross by the score of 10-1 in six innings.
The Patriots' overpowering offense outscored their opponents with a combined score 20-2. Strong pitching and staunch defense also led to zero errors on the day.
GAME 1: Mason (3-2) vs. South Carolina State (0-1)
In game one, the Patriots spoiled South Carolina State's season opener by scoring 10 unanswered runs. The offense was led by Maggie Mrowka, Rachel Warrens and Nicole Bechtel, who all recorded multiple hits in the game. Jordan Tallman's strong pitching performance held the Bulldog bats to only one run and earned her second win of the season.
South Carolina State struck first. In the bottom of the first inning, freshman Destiny Calloway hit a single to left field which scored Taylor Ames-Alexander from third base. After that, the Patriot defense would not surrender more runs in for the rest of the game.
The Patriots immediately leveled the game the following inning. At the top of the second, sophomore outfielder Charlotte Montgomery reached first base on an error by the Bulldog first baseman, which scored Maddy Myers from third base.
In the third inning, senior infielder Haley Taormina hit a double to put herself in scoring position. At the ensuing at bat, redshirt junior catcher Nicole Bechtel knocked a single that drove Taormina home, extending the Patriot lead to 3-1.
The fourth inning was when the game became out of reach for the Bulldogs, as the Patriots tacked on four more runs. Graduate student Maggie Mrowka started the scoring affair by hitting a solo shot to left center field, giving the team's first home run of the season. After a Charlotte Montgomery single, senior Rachel Warrens hit a double that sent Montgomery home. Alena Ball then walked and stole second, setting up Haley Taormina to do extra damage with runners now on second and third. Taormina's sacrifice fly advanced Warrens home and Ball to third, but an error by the Bulldog second baseman allowed Ball to advance home as well. By the end of the inning, the Patriots were leading 6-1.
The top of the fifth inning saw Mason's second home run fly out of the park, this time by the bat of Rachel Warrens and with a runner on base. After sophomore Hayley Shifflett hit a single to put herself on base, Warrens added to her RBI total for the game and launched the ball to left field. This was Mason's first multi-run home run of the season and now were ahead 8-1.
The Patriot defense played a key role in preventing the Bulldogs from mounting a late rally. In the bottom of the fifth inning, sophomore pitcher Jordan Anderson was sent in to relieve Jordan Tallman, where she inherited three runners on base with nobody out. At the following at bat, S.C. State's Calloway hit the ball to third base and reached first on a fielder's choice, but third baseman Haley Taormina prevented any runs from scoring by tagging the Bulldog runner running to third and connecting with catcher Nicole Bechtel to tag the other running Bulldog out at home. For the final out of the inning, Jordan Anderson was able to get DeAsia Lowther to fly out to center field, successfully getting the Patriots out of a jam.
The final two runs of the game were scored in the top of the sixth inning. Nicole Bechtel picked up another RBI single after Haley Taormina walked and stole second base the at bat before. Later that inning, Hayley Shifflett plated her first RBI of the season when her single through the left side allowed freshman Elyssa DeRosa to run home from third base. The game would be called at the end of the sixth inning.
Game 2: Mason (4-2) vs. Holy Cross (2-1)
In the second game of the day, the Patriots handed the Crusaders their first loss of the season. The two teams were knotted at 0-0 until the bottom of the third inning. The inning started with a Rachel Warrens single, where she would later be out on a force play after Alena Ball put the ball in play, leaving Ball safe at first on a fielder's choice. Haley Taormina was the next batter up and lined a two-run homer on the very first pitch she saw. The Patriots jumped to a 2-0 lead.
Holy Cross would halve the lead at the top of the fourth inning. After two consecutive singles, freshman outfielder Ali Sniegocki hit a single to right center, scoring Anna Brait from second base.
The bottom of the fourth inning saw the Patriots break the game wide open. Maggie Mrowka led off the inning with a single, followed by another single by Charlotte Montgomery. After Rachel Warrens drew a walk on a full count, the bases were loaded with nobody out.
Alena Ball was next to move the line along. On a full count, Ball singled to shortstop, safely advancing all Patriots one base. Up next to bat was Haley Taormina, who plugged the gap in right center. Her bases-clearing double added three more runs for the Patriots. Taormina then stole third, which allowed Maddy Myers to make a sacrifice hit, driving in the sixth run of the inning. The Patriots were leading 7-1 going into the top of the fifth.
In her first start of the season, Carly Cooper allowed only one earned run on three hits in five innings of work. She also picked up her first win of the season.
Jordan Anderson came in relief again, this time to start the sixth inning. After giving up two singles, Anderson struck out the next two batters and walked the third, loading the bases. She was able to once again get out of the jam with a ground out to shortstop Rachel Warrens.
The Patriots scored three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. After an Alena Ball single and Nicole Bechtel walk, rookie Elyssa DeRosa homered to left center. This was DeRosa's first home run of the season and first in her collegiate career.
Like the South Carolina St. game from earlier in the day, the game was called after the sixth inning.
UP NEXT
The Patriots will play one last game at the Spartan Classic, as they will face off against University of Maryland Eastern Shore. First pitch is set for 10 a.m. Live stats for the game can be found below.
Sun., Feb. 19
vs. UMES (Sun.) LIVESTATS
