BRONX, N.Y. – The #4 George Mason softball team (35-22, 16-10 A-10) beat #2 Loyola Chicago (27-23, 11-10 A-10) in extra innings in the final, winner-take-all game to win its first Atlantic 10 Tournament in program history. The Patriots will also compete in the NCAA Divsion I Softball Tournament for the first time.

Four Patriots won All-Championship honors. Carly Cooper, Maddy Myers, Haley Taormina and Aly Rayle were named for their exceptional performances this tournament. Rayle was also given The Most Outstanding Player award.

MASON'S TOURNAMENT BY THE NUMBERS

• Aly Rayle finished the tournament with a 4-1 record with four complete games and two shutouts. She pitched 33 innings and recorded 39 strikeouts.
• Maddy Myers had the most RBI on the team, batting 5. She is tied with Taormina with most hits and home runs this tournament with six and two, respectively.
• Compared to the other teams Mason faced this week, The Patriots outperformed their opponents in average (.196 / .182), runs (28/25), hits (28/25), doubles (9/7), triples (1/0), home runs (4/1), RBI (16/7), and walks (8/7).

GAME ONE: MASON 2, LOYOLA CHICAGO 3 (8 INNINGS)
In Game One, the Patriots trailed for the first time in this weeks tournament after a wild pitch in the first inning scored a Rambler at third. Aly Rayle would then retire the next 19 batters in a row and send the games to extra innings.

The Patriots would tie the game in the top of the sixth inning. After Nicole Bechtel doubled to left center (Logan Pickford would later pinch run), Rachel Warrens hit a single, allowing the Patriots to score their first run of the game. The game would remain tied and head to extra innings.

In the eighth inning, the Patriots took the lead after Maddy Myers hit an RBI double to right center, scoring Nicole Bechtel all the way from fist. The Patriots would lead 2-1 going to the bottom half of the inning.

However, the Ramblers were able to walk-off the Patriots in the bottom of the eighth. The Ramblers, two strikes and two outs, hit a two-run home run to win Game One.

GAME TWO: MASON 6, LOYOLA CHICAGO 3 (10 INNINGS)
In Game Two, the Patriots and Ramblers fought through extra innings once again.

Tied 3-3 in the top of the 10th inning, Nicole Bechtel hit a two-run, bases-clearing double. Elyssa DeRosa then tacked on one more run to extend the Patriot lead to 6-3.

Aly Rayle and the Patriot defense closed out the final half of the tenth inning to solidify Mason's first ever conference championship.

UP NEXT

The conference champions will now await to hear where they will go to play their NCAA Regionals. The selection show will be Sunday, May 14 (tomorrow) at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.