ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The George Mason softball team (21-15, 7-4 A-10) split its opening two games with St. Bonaventure (8-19, 3-8 A-10) in Friday's doubleheader. The Patriots lost the first game by the score of 6-7 and later won the second game 13-5.

MASON BY THE NUMBERS

• The Patriots scored 13 runs today in Game Two, the most runs scored in any game season. 

• Hayley Shifflett led the team with five RBI on the day.

• Rachel Warrens hit her third home run of the season in Game One.

• Aly Rayle matched her season high of 11 strikeouts in her Game One outing.

• Marlaina Bozek had the best batting average in Game One, going 3-for-4. Charlotte Montgomery had the best batting average in Game Two, going 3-4 as well.

GAME ONE: MASON 6, ST. BONAVENTURE 7
Game One was a game of scoring streaks that ended in a walk-off home run. The Patriots scored the first four runs of the game, followed by six consecutive Bonnie runs. The Patriots would then score two runs in the seventh to tie the game, only to be walked-off in the bottom of the frame by a solo home run.

Starting pitcher Aly Rayle (6.0 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 11 SO) stayed in the whole game. Despite the loss, Rayle tied her season high in strikeouts, fanning 11 batters.

In the top of the first inning, Haley Taormina (1-3, 2 R, 1 BB) reached base on an eight pitch, full count walk. Nicole Bechtel (2-4, 2 RBI) then hit a single up the middle, moving Taormina to third. Bechtel then stole her first base of the season, moving the Patriot runners both in scoring position. Finally, a Bonnie wild pitch allowed Taormina to score from third, giving the Patriots an early 1-0 lead.

The Patriots scored again in the second inning. Sydney Bales (1-3, 2 R, 1 BB) reached third on a fielding error by the Bonnie left fielder. The following at bat, Charlotte Montgomery (1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI) drove Bales home with a productive ground out to second base.

In the third inning, Rachel Warrens (2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB) extended the Patriot lead to 3-0 with a solo home run. On a 1-1 count, the senior connected on the pitch and sent her third home run of the season over the left field wall.

The Patriots scored for the fourth consecutive inning to start the game. With Charlotte Montgomery on first base, Marlaina Bozek's triple (3-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B) scored Montgomery from first, extending the Patriot lead to 4-0.

The Bonnies, however, stormed back in the bottom of the frame to take the lead, scoring five runs on three hits and one error. With the bases loaded, Kennedy Haberl (0-2, 1 RBI) hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Brooke Bobbey (1-3, 1 R) at third. Then, with the bases loaded again, Elyse Graham (1-3, 4 RBI, 1 HR) hit a grand slam on a full count. At the end of four innings, the Bonnies would have a one-run advantage over the Patriots.

The Bonnies added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth. Abby Suhr (1-2, 2 R, 1 BB) hit a leadoff double down the left field line. Later in the inning, Juanita Wolak (1-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB) drove Suhr home with a triple to left center. 

The Patriots successfully mounted a rally in the top of the seventh inning. Marlaina Bozek led off with a single, followed by another by Haley Taormina. During Nicole Bechtel's at bat, a wild pitch advanced both runners in scoring position. Finally, on a 2-0 count, Bechtel hit a two-run RBI single to right field and tied the game 6-6.

However, the Bonnies hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh. Leadoff hitter Madison Stewart (1-3, 1 RBI, 1 HR) hit her first home run of the season over the left field wall, giving the Patriots their first loss of the series.

GAME TWO: MASON 13, ST. BONAVENTURE 5
In Game Two, the Patriot offense poured on 13 runs, the most the team has recorded all season. Similar to Game One, the Patriots jumped to an early 5-0 lead, but the Bonnies responded with five runs of their own, leveling the game at 5-5. The Patriots then scored eight unanswered runs to put the game away and win 13-5.

Reliever Alexandra Anderson (3.0 IP 2 H, 1 BB, 1 SO) earned the win in Game Two. The sophomore now has three wins on the year.

Mason took an early 1-0 lead in Game Two. In the top of the first inning, the Patriots started the game with a leadoff triple by Marlaina Bozek (2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 3B). Rachel Warrens (3-5, 3 R, 3 RBI 1 3B) drove Bozek home with an infield single to short.

The Patriots would score four more runs in the top of the third inning. After Haley Taormina (2-4, 1 BB) hit a single and Nicole Bechtel hit a double down the left field line, the two scored after Rachel Warrens, the third batter of the inning, reached base safely by a muffed throw by the Bonnie catcher. Then, after a Maddy Myers (2-4, 1 BB) single, who was later subbed out for Maggie Mrowka (1R) to be a pinch runner and advanced to second, both runners were in scoring position for the Patriots. Hayley Shifflett (2-5, 5 RBI) hit a ground out RBI to second base, scoring Warrens. The following batter, Zoe Vozick (1-4 1 RBI, 1 2B), laid down a bunt that allowed Mrowka to score the fourth run of the inning. By the end of the inning, the Patriots were up 5-0.

The Bonnies would answer with five unanswered runs over the next two innings. In the bottom of the third, Emily Piergustavo (1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 HR) hit a two-run home run. In the fourth, Madison Stewart (1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 BB) hit a double down the left field line, scoring Elyse Graham (2-2, 1 R, 1 BB) who was on second. Following a wild pitch that advanced Stewart to third, Grace Walker's (0-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB) ground out to second base allowed Stewart to score. Finally, after a Brooke Bobbey triple, Abby Suhr (2-4, 1 RBI, 1 SB) hit an RBI single to level the game 5-5.

The Patriots, however, would then score six runs over the following two innings to retake the lead. In the top of the fifth, after back-to-back singles by Sydney Bales (2-5, 1 R) and Charlotte Montgomery (3-4) put runners on first and second, Marlaina Bozek hit an RBI single through the left side, scoring Bales from second.

In the bottom of the sixth, with the bases loaded, Hayley Shifflett plugged the gap in left center, clearing the bases and giving the Patriots a 9-5 lead. The following at bat, pinch hitter Kamryn Inman (1-1, 1 RBI) hit an RBI single through the left side, scoring Shifflett from second. Inman would later advance to second herself during the play. Up to bat was Sydney Bales, whose productive groundout advanced Inman to third. Inman started to round third and head home, prompting the Bonnie first baseman to make an errant throw home. This ultimately allowed Inman to get home safely and give the Patriots an 11-5 advantage by the end of the sixth inning.

The Patriots tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh inning. After Haley Taormina drew a four-pitch walk, Rachel Warrens ripped an RBI triple to right center. Hayley Shifflett converted again at the plate, hitting an RBI single to left field, scoring Warrens.

The Patriots were able to close out the bottom of the seventh and win Game Two by final score of 13-5.

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