ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The George Mason softball team (29-19, 14-8 A-10) lost both games in Saturday's doubleheader to Saint Louis (26-22, 17-4 A-10) in walk-off fashion. Game One saw the Patriots reach the tenth inning of a game for the second consecutive game, while Game 2 saw the Billikens hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Billikens have now extended their current winning streak to 11 and have set a new program record.

MASON BY THE NUMBERS

• The 2023 Patriots have set the record for most home runs hit in a single season, breaking the previous record of 22 set in 2015. Jordan Anderson sent the record-breaking homer over the left field wall in the top of the third inning of Game One.

• Aly Rayle set a new career-high in strikeouts recorded in one game. The graduate student fanned 12 Billikens in Game One's 10-inning game.

• Haley Taormina went 4-for-8 on the day and hit two doubles. The senior now has 19 doubles and continues to lead the Atlantic 10 in the category.

GAME ONE: MASON 2, SAINT LOUIS 3 (10 innings)
The Billikens took an early lead in Game One. After the game started with a leadoff walk, Natalie Sullivan (1-3, 1 R, 1 2 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB) hit a home run, putting the Billikens up two. The Patriots would be able to get out the inning only giving up those two runs. The second inning would go by quickly, as both teams went out in order.

In the top of the third inning, designated player Jordan Anderson (1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR) led off with a home run to left field. She now has the second most home runs on the team with four. With that home run, the 2023 Patriots have hit the most home runs in a single season with 23. The previous record was 22 set in 2015.

Later in the inning, Sydney Bales (1-4, 1 R, 1 SB) hit a single up the middle and stole second base. After a productive ground out by Marlaina Bozek (2-4), Bales was on third base. Up next to bat was Haley Taormina (2-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B), whose infield single to short was deep enough for Bales to score and level the game.

The game would remain knotted up until the tenth inning. Starting pitcher Aly Rayle (9.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 12 K) stayed in the whole game, striking out a record 12 batters. Saint Louis' ace, Chloe Wendling (10 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB), went the distance as well, striking out 11 batters.

In the bottom of the tenth, after two Billiken singles put runners on second and third with only one out, Abby Mallo (1-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB) lifted a sacrifice fly out to center field which was deep enough for Chloe Rhine to score and win the game for Saint Louis. The Billikens won their tenth consecutive game, which is now the longest in their program's history.

GAME TWO: MASON 3, SAINT LOUIS 4
Game Two was a back-and-forth affair that also ended in a walk-off for the Billikens. The Patriots scored first in the top of the second inning with a Sydney Blackwell (0-1, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SF) sacrifice fly that scored Rachel Warrens (2-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 SB) from third base.

The Billikens would take the lead in the bottom of the third inning. With runners on second and third, Abby Mallo (2-4, 2 RBI) hit a single to right field, scoring both Billikens.

The Billikens would not hold the lead for long. In the top of the fourth, the Patriots had a two run, four hit inning. Haley Taormina (2-4, 1 R, 1 2B) led off with a double down the right field line. Immediately after, Nicole Bechtel (1-3, 1 RBI, 1 2B) hit another double, this time to left center. Taormina would score and Bechtel would take second. Logan Pickford (1R) would pinch run for Bechtel afterwards. The inning's third consecutive double would be hit by Rachel Warrens. Pickford would come in to score, but Warrens would unfortunately be tagged out trying to stretch her double into a triple. At the end of the inning, the Patriots were ahead of the Billikens 3-2.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Saint Louis tied the game with a Chloe Rhine (2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR) solo home run. The game would remain tied until the bottom of the seventh inning.

With two outs left in the bottom of the seventh, the Billikens were able to get runners on base with an Abbly Mallo single, followed by a Kelsey Etling (1-2, 2 BB) walk. With a runner now in scoring position, Kendall Johnson (1-1, 1 RBI) hit a single to left field, batting in the winning run.

UP NEXT

The Patriots will finish the series with the Billikens tomorrow at 1 p.m. EDT. It can be watched on ESPN+ here and followed on Livestats here.