Game One Box Score (PDF)
Game Two Box Score (PDF)
FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason graduate student starter
Aly Rayle pitched a no-hitter in the Patriots 1-0 victory over Massachusetts in game one of the doubleheader on Friday at the GMU Softball Complex.
The Minutewomen defeated the Patriots, 6-3, in the nightcap to earn the split.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-Rayle tossed her third no-hitter of the season and tied her season-high with 12 strikeouts.
-The Patriots won their ninth straight home game with the victory in game one.
-Mason recorded its 30th win of the season, reaching the 30-win plateau for the first time since the 2003 season.
GAME ONE
Mason (30-20, 15-9 A10) and UMass (15-33, 6-17 A10) remained scoreless heading into the bottom of the eighth inning.
After allowing a one-out walk in the first, Rayle retired 23 straight batters the rest of the game.
With one out in the home half of the eighth, freshman pinch-hitter
Alena Ball reached on a fielding error and sophomore center fielder
Charlotte Montgomery followed with a bunt single to put runners on first and second.
Mason junior second baseman
Marlaina Bozek then lifted a fly ball to right field, where UMass junior Emily Whelan made a diving catch. Ball raced for third and got the green light and scored all the way from second base on the sacrifice fly to lift the Patriots to the 1-0 walk-off victory.
For the Patriots, Rayle (14-8) struck out 12 and allowed just one baserunner in the game.
For the Minutewomen, sophomore Julianne Bolton (3-12) allowed one run on five hits with five strikeouts and two walk and took the loss.
Senior shortstop
Rachel Warrens, junior catcher
Nicole Bechtel, sophomore designated player
Jordan Anderson and Montgomery each finished 1-for-3 in the game.
GAME TWO
Mason (30-21, 15-10 A10) fell behind UMass (16-33, 7-17 A10) in the top of the second. With two outs in the inning, Minutewomen third baseman Sarah Keagy hit a two-run home run over off of Mason junior starter
Carly Cooper to put UMass in front, 2-0.
The Patriots responded in the bottom of the third against UMass junior starter Jenna Bradley.
Bozek led off with an infield single and with one out, Bechtel reached on a throwing error to put runners on the corners. Warrens followed with a double to left-center to make it a one-run game at 2-1.
In the top of the fourth, UMass plated a pair of two-out runs when Keagy doubled to right field to extend the advantage to 4-1.
The Patriots again made it a one-run game in the bottom of the fifth against UMass senior reliever Jessie DiPasquale.
Bozak led off with a double to left-center and with one out she advanced to third on a wild pitch. Bechtel then delivered with a RBI-single to right to make the score 4-2. With two outs and Bechtel on second after a throwing error, senior first baseman
Maddy Myers double to left-center with Bechtel racing around to pull the Patriots closer at 4-3.
The Minutewomen scored a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh on a two-run triple by junior center fielder Chloe Whittier for the 6-3 final score.
For the Patriots, Cooper (5-6) allowed six runs on six hits in 6.0 innings and took the loss.
Jordan Anderson pitched 1.0 scoreless inning.
For the Minutewomen, Bradley (3-3) allowed one run on six hits in 2.1 innings. DiPasquale surrendered two runs, one earned, on five hits in 4.2 innings.
Bechtel went 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored, Myers was 2-for-4 with one RBI and Bozek finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
UP NEXT
The Patriots and Minutewomen will play the final game of the regular season on Saturday with the first pitch slated for noon at the GMU Softball Complex.
