FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason softball team (14-8, 1-1) split its A-10 home opener against Loyola (5-15, 1-1). The Patriots won Game One, winning 4-1. In Game Two, the Patriots gave up three runs in the sixth inning after being up 6-4 and ultimately lost 6-7.

MASON BY THE NUMBERS

• Starting graduate pitcher Aly Rayle (4-3, 2.75 ERA) pitched a stellar five-inning game in Game One, striking out eight Ramblers and only giving up one run, which was unearned.
• Sophomore relief pitcher Jordan Anderson (2-0, 3.75 ERA, 1 SV) earned her first save on the season. In Game One, she pitched two scoreless innings and secured the Patriots their first conference win.
• Redshirt junior catcher Nicole Bechtel (.290 / .343 / .419) led the Patriots today in RBI, batting in four Patriots. Senior Rachel Warrens (.273 / .347 / .379) had the second most, batting in three.
• Haley Taormina (.418 / .455 / .806) and Nicole Bechtel led the Patriots in batting average today, both going 3-for-6 (.500) with two doubles.

GAME ONE: MASON (14-7, 1-0) vs. LOYOLA (4-15, 0-1)
In Game One, graduate starting pitcher Aly Rayle earned her fourth win on the season. She tossed five innings and struck out eight Ramblers on 20 batters faced. The Herndon, Va., native now has 65 strikeouts on the season.

The Patriots scored all four of their runs in the first inning. The game started with a Marlaina Bozek single, Alena Ball walk and Haley Taormina single. With the bases loaded with nobody out, cleanup hitter Nicole Bechtel lifted a single into shallow left, scoring Bozek and Ball, and moving Taormina to third. The Patriots had an early 2-0 lead after just four at-bats. Junior Sydney Bales came in the pinch run for Bechtel on first.

Next up to bat was Elyssa DeRosa, who drew a full count walk. With the bases full again, shortstop Rachel Warrens hit a sacrifice fly to right field which was deep enough to get Taormina to tag up on third and score. DeRosa and Williams would move up one base after a Rambler passed ball during Sydney Blackwell's at-bat.

The fourth run of the inning would be scored on a fielding error by the Rambler shortstop Wallace, who could not properly secure the ball thrown by catcher Gregus who was trying to keep DeRosa at bay. Though DeRosa was held at second, the fumble by the Rambler shortstop was enough for Bales to reach home. At the end of the first inning, the Patriots were up 4-0.

The last run of the game would be scored in the top of the fifth inning by Loyola. Leadoff hitter Sinskul hit a double to right center on the first pitch of the inning. After a passed ball during the next at-bat, Sinskul advanced to third. After Rayle was able to strike out the second batter of the inning, her wild pitch during the third at-bat allowed Sinskul to slide home to score Loyola's only run of the game. Rayle was able to get out of the inning, which would be her last.

Sophomore reliever Jordan Anderson pitched the last two innings of the game, only allowing one hit. Her six quick outs earned the Alliance, Ohio, native her first save of the season.

GAME TWO: MASON (14-8, 1-1) vs. LOYOLA (5-15, 1-1)
In Game Two, the Patriots scored in the first three innings of the game. However, Loyola hung around every step of the way, scoring in the second, third and sixth innings.  

In the first inning, Nicole Bechtel made an early impact on the game again, as her double over the left fielder scored Alena Ball from second. After Elyssa DeRosa reached first on a fielding error by the Rambler second baseman, Senior shortstop Rachel Warrens hit a two-run infield single. After the Rambler shortstop knocked down the hit, she threw the ball home to try and get the second runner, DeRosa, home. After DeRosa slid home safely, the Rambler catcher threw the ball back to short, who was covering second and was able to get Warrens out, who was trying to slide into second. At the end of the inning, the Patriots were up 3-0.
 
The Ramblers would get two back in the top of the second inning after back-to-back Bechtel throwing errors on consecutive at-bats.

In the bottom of the second, Mason scored one run by means of a Maddy Myers groud out RBI. After right fielder Sydney Blackwell led the inning off with a double down the left field line, center fielder Charlotte Montgomery laid down a sacrifice bunt on her first pitch, moving Blackwell to third. Myers then put the ball in play, where the ball was deep enough in shortstop territory where the only play was at first, allowing Blackwell to score.

The Ramblers, however, would answer right back in the top of the third inning. Loyola's best hitter, Amelia Thomas led the inning off with a double to left center. After shortstop Haley Wallace hit a single, giving Loyola runners on the corners. during their third at-bat, the Ramblers attempted a delayed double steal, where Wallace first attempted to steal second, while Thomas waited at third until catcher Nicole Bechtel threw the ball to second baseman Marlaina Bozek. After the ball reached second with Wallace in between first and second, Thomas started running home from third. Bozek was able to send the ball back to the catcher Bechtel and catch Thomas stealing home. Later in the inning, though, the Ramblers got two more runners on base by means of a walk and hit by pitch, loading the bases for second baseman Jocelyn Currie, who hit a two-run double to right field. At the end of the third inning, the game would be tied 4-4.

The Patriots would score two more runs in the bottom frame of the third by a Nicole Bechtel single, scoring Haley Taormina who led the inning off with a double to left center and a Patriot double steal made by Sydney Blackwell and Sydney Bales.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Ramblers would bat around and score the last three runs of the game, which included two base hits, a sacrifice bunt, two walks and two hit by pitches. At the end of the sixth inning, the Ramblers had taken a 7-6 lead.

Both the Patriots and Ramblers would go down in order in the final frames of the game. The game would end with the Ramblers winning their first conference game of the season.

UP NEXT
The Patriots will finish their A-10 home opener tomorrow at noon with their third game against Loyola. First pitch is set for noon. The game can be watched on ESPN+.