GEORGE MASON (24-15, 10-4 ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE) vs SAINT JOSEPH'S (14-19, 5-6 ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE)
GAME PROGRAM: Click Here
WHEN: Sat.-Sun., April 15-16; Saturday: 3 & 5:30 p.m. | Sunday: Noon
WHERE: Fairfax, Va. | George Mason Softball Complex
WATCH: Game One | Game Two | Game Three
LIVESTATS: Click Here
HISTORY: Saint Joseph's leads the all-time series 11-7; Last met March 19-22, 2022 (Saint Joseph's swept Mason 3-0)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason softball team (24-15, 10-4 A-10) will continue their A-10 home stand, hosting Saint Joseph's (14-19, 5-6 A-10) this weekend at the George Mason Softball Complex. Game One of Saturday's doubleheader will start at noon, while Game Two will start at 2:30. Sunday's series finale will begin at noon. 

In the Atlantic 10 conference, Mason has the most wins with 24. The Patriots are also the first team this season to reach ten wins in conference play. Their 10-4 Atlantic 10 Conference record currently puts them in second place; Loyola Chicago (14-19, 8-4) is in third place, while Dayton (23-13, 9-2) still holds the top spot in the conference.

CONFERENCE LEADERS
In the Atlantic 10, the Patriots are first in the following:

• Fielding (.973), pitcher wins (24), strikeouts (230), doubles (57), triples (16) and third in both pitching ERA (2.84) and batting (.285).
• Individually, senior Haley Taormina (.339 / .456 / .557) leads the conference in doubles (15) and sacrifice flies (3). She is also second in RBI (34), just two shy of sharing the lead with Abby Mallo of Saint Louis. Rookie Elyssa DeRosa (.378 / .477 / .644) is first in the triples category (7). Finally, senior shortstop Rachel Warrens (.293 / .359 / .440) leads the conference in stolen bases (24).
• The Patriots are third in both pitching ERA (2.84) and batting (.285).

NATIONAL LEADERS
Nationally, the Patriots as a team are ranked fourth in stolen bases per game (2.92). Individually, left fielder Elyssa DeRosa leads the nation in triples (7) and is third in triples per game (0.20). Third baseman Haley Taormina, on the other hand, is third in the nation in doubles (15).

A LOOK AT THE PATRIOTS
The Patriots won their fourth and fifth conference series, winning two of three against St. Bonaventure this past weekend and sweeping George Washington in Wednesday's Revolutionary Rivalry.

Rachel Warrens led the team last week in hits (8), average (8-14, .571) home runs (1), RBI (6) and stolen bases (3). Two other Patriots hit .500; center fielder Charlotte Montgomery went 6-for-12 with three runs and two RBI, and second baseman Marlaina Bozek went 8-for-16 with five runs, one double, two triples and two RBI.

During Wednesday's doubleheader, graduate student Aly Rayle (11-5, 2.33 ERA, 1 SV) collected her eleventh win of the season and pitched her eighth complete game victory. In Game Two, sophomore Alexandra Anderson earned her fourth win of the season after pitching in relief, while Rayle recorded her first save.

Nicole Bechtel has now successfully recorded a hit in 14 of her last 16 games (March 18). In that 16 game span, she leads the team in hits (20, tied with Marlaina Bozek), average (.417), doubles (6) and RBI (12, tied with Rachel Warrens).

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
The Hawks of Saint Joseph's have won two of the their last five games and are currently on a two game winning streak. They lost to Delaware last week 4-12 in six innings, lost two of three against George Washington over the weekend and shutout Penn 7-0 in Wednesday's single game.

The Hawks have a record of 5-6 in the A-10, and they are currently in sixth place in conference standings.

Sophomore utility player and pitcher Kaelin Cash (.348 / .459 / .663) leads the team in hits (32), average (.348), on base percentage (.459), slugging (.663), RBI (22) and home runs (8). Seniors Madison Fife (.321 / .379 / .500) and Payton Baxter (.243 / .296 / .419) each have the second-most RBI with 16. Baxter leads the team in doubles (7), while Fife has the second-most home runs behind Cash (3, tied with Meghan Sinkus).

Two other Hawks have double-digit RBI totals this season. Senior infielder Jessica Gaughan (.231 / .311 / .330) has 13 RBI, and freshman outfielder Meghan Sinkus (.301 / .354 / .437) has ten RBI.

On the pitching side, Emily Siler (8-8, 2.75 ERA, 1 SV) has seen the most action, pitching 109.1 innings and leads the team in strikeouts (94) and saves (2). Taylor Trowbridge (4-5, 3.02 ERA) has seen the second most action this season, pitching 53.1 innings and striking out 33 batters. Finally, Jules Scogna (2-3, 2.38 ERA, 1 SV) has pitched 32.1 innings, recorded 25 strikeouts and has one save on the season.

TEAM STAT COMPARISONS: Mason (39 games played) | Saint Joseph's (33 games played)
BATTING
AVG: .285 | .249
OBP: .369 | .319
SLG: .416 | .363
R: 186 | 109
H: 284 | 210
2B: 57 | 40
3B: 16 | 1
HR: 14 | 18
RBI: 157 | 100

PITCHING
ERA: 2.84 | 3.17
SO: 230 | 162
R: 127 | 121
ER: 107 | 97
H: 236 | 208
2B: 44 | 31
3B: 11 | 2
HR: 17 | 9

HISTORY WITH THE HAWKS
Dating back to 2009, Saint Joseph's leads the all-time series 11-7. The last time these two schools met was last season on March 19-22, 2022, when Mason was swept in a three game series. The season prior, however, Mason swept the Hawks in a midweek doubleheader.

UP NEXT
The Patriots will have a chance to rest, as they will not have a midweek game next week. They will travel to Dayton the weekend of April 22 to face off against the top-ranked Flyers in a three-game series.