DAYTON, Ohio – The George Mason softball team (28-16, 14-5 A-10) split Saturday's doubleheader against Dayton (29-14, 13-3 A-10). The Flyers walked off the Patriots in Game One 7-8, but the Patriots won Game Two by Run Rule Victory by the score of 13-5. Between the two teams, there were a total of 33 runs scored, 36 hits and 10 home runs hit today.
 

MASON BY THE NUMBERS

• The Patriots hit seven home runs over the span of both games and hit a season-high four homers in Game One. Five total Patriots hit a home run: Jordan Anderson (2), Nicole Bechtel (2), Maddy Myers (1), Sydney Bales (1) and Haley Taormina (1) 

• Seven Patriots had multi-hit games today: Haley Taormina, Nicole Bechtel (Twice), Marlaina Bozek, Rachel Warrens, Sydney Blackwell, Jordan Anderson and Sydney Bales

• Bechtel led the Patriot offense, going 4-for-5 (.800) with three runs, two home runs and six RBI.

• Aly Rayle struck out 10 Flyers in Game One. She recorded 10+ strikeouts in a game for the fifth time this season.

• Carly Cooper recorded her second consecutive win. The junior now has a 5-4 record.

• The Patriots outhit the Flyers and had a better batting average. Mason went 19-for-55 with a .345 average, while Dayton went 17-for-51 with a .333 average.

Game One: MASON 7, Dayton 8
Game One saw six total home runs, with four of those coming from Mason's side. Unfortunately for the Patriots, the Flyers would rally in the final inning to steal a Game One victory over the Patriots.

Mason opened the scoring in the top of the second inning with a Jordan Anderson (1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR) home run. Anderson's hit flew over the left field wall, giving the Patriots an early 1-0 lead. This was the sophomore's first home run of the season.

The Flyers would answer with a solo homer of their own in the bottom of the inning. Alyssa Cacini (2-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB) led the inning off with a solo shot of her own. At the end of two innings, the game was tied 2-2.

The game would not be tied for long, as the Patriots would hit back-to-back solo homers in the top of the third. Haley Taormina (1-4, 2 R, 1 RBI) turned on a fastball high and inside and hit a no-doubter over the left field wall. The third baseman now has six home runs in the year, besting her 2022 season in which she had five. The next batter was Nicole Bechtel (2-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR), who the ball to dead center over the wall. The redshirt junior catcher now has three homers on the season.

The Patriots would add three more runs in the fifth inning to extend their Game One lead. After Taormina singled and stole second, Bechtel hit an RBI single to center, scoring Taormina. Then, with two runners aboard, Maddy Myers (1-3, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR) hit her third homer of the season. The ball went over the center field wall, and the Patriots had built an impressive 7-1 lead after the top of the fifth inning.

The Flyers began their late-game rally in the bottom of the fifth. After a Patriot fielding error that would have ended the inning, the Flyers took advantage and scored three unearned runs. First, Emma Schutter (2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI) hit an RBI single, scoring one Flyer. During the ensuing at bat, Maddie Kapsimalis (1-4, 1 R, 2 RBI) hit a two-run homer to cut the Patriot lead to 7-4.

The score would remain 7-4 until the bottom of the seventh inning, where the Flyers rallied to score four runs and win the game. Emma Schutter's at bat with starting pitcher Aly Rayle was the longest of the day, and it resulted in a two-run double to deep center. The lead was now only 7-6 for the Patriots and the Flyers had put another runner on board. With two outs remaining, there were runners on seccond and third. Dayton's Taylor Erschen (3-4, 2 RBI) hit an RBI single up the middle, scoring the final two runs of the game, giving the Flyers their first lead of the game and ultimately the win.

Unfortunately for Mason's starter, Aly Rayle (6.2 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 10 K) was charged with the loss. However, she was able to strike out 10+ batters for the fifth time this season.

Game Two: MASON 13, DAYTON 5 (5 innings)
In Game Two, the Patriots found themselves in a 0-4 hole early in the game. However, the team's offense exploded, scoring 13 runs in two innings to end the game early by means of Run Rule Victory.

In the top of the first, the Flyers jumped ahead and took the lead. A Nico Papavasiliou (2-3, 1 R, 2 RBI) two-run double and a Taylor Erschen (1-2, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR) two-run homer put them ahead of the Patriots 0-4. The Patriot offense had no response, as they would go out in order in the second and third innings.

It would not be until the top of the fourth inning when Mason's offense woke up. After a leadoff Nicole Bechtel (2-2, 2 R, 4 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB) walk, Rachel Warrens (2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B, 1 BB) hit a double, scoring Bechtel. Then, left fielder Sydney Blackwell (2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 1 3B) hit an RBI triple, scoring Warrens. The game would be tied 4-4 after Jordan Anderson (2-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR) hit her second homer of the day, scoring both Blackwell and herself. Right after Anderson's home run, Sydney Bales (2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI 1 2B, 1 HR) hit her first home run of the season. By the end of the inning, the Patriots were ahead 5-4 going to the bottom of the fourth.

The Flyers answered in the bottom of the frame with a sacrifice fly by Ali Weekley (1 RBI), scoring Quinn Pallardy (1-2, 1 R). This would be the last run the Flyers would score for the day.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Patriots poured in eight more runs to put the game out of reach. Nicole Bechtel led off the inning with a solo home run, which was the second homer of the day for the catcher. After Rachel Warrens hit a double, Sydney Blackwell doubled to left center, just missing a home run of her own by a few inches. The ball bounced off the wall, and the speedy Warrens scored. Jordan Anderson would then hit a single that would put Blackwell to third and herself on second, since she was able to advance on the Flyer throw to third. Alena Ball (1 R) would then come in to pinch run for Anderson on second.

Up next to bat was Sydney Bales, who hit a two-run double to right center. After Charlotte Montgomery (0-2, 1 R, 1 BB) drew a walk, Marlaina Bozek (2-4, 1 R) flaired a single in to shallow left, loading the bases for Haley Taormina (0-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB). The Flyer defense wanted nothing to do with Mason's leading home run hitter, so she drew a four-pitch walk, scoring Bales.

The Patriots had officially batted around with only one out. Back up to bat was Nicole Bechtel, who added to her monster game with a bases-clearing double to left field. By the end of the inning, the Patriots were up 13-5 with the Run Rule Victory officially in effect.

Starting pitcher Carly Cooper (5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) and the Patriot defense shut the door on the Flyers, retiring the side in order and winning the game 13-5 in five innings.

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