FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason softball team (8-17, 1-1 A-10) split their Saturday doubleheader to Dayton (11-9, 1-1 A-10) at the George Mason Softball Complex. The Patriots finish the first day of Atlantic 10 action 1-1 and ultimately snap an eight-game losing streak.
PATRIOT HIGHLIGHTS
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In Game #1 the Patriots battled the Flyers to a scoreless game in the first three innings. Dayton would eventually score three runs in the top of the fourth inning and win the Game 3-0.
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In Game #2, the Patriots' four-run third inning gave the Patriots their first lead of the day. They would add an insurance run in the sixth inning and win the game 6-4.
- Sophomore Elyssa DeRosa led the team in batting today, batting 3-for-6 (.500) and recorded one RBI.
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Senior catcher Zoe Vozick recorded the most RBI for the Patriots today after plating two runs in Game #2.
- Mason fared better at the plate than Dayton in Saturday's doubleheader, with the Patriots going 15-for-52 (.288) while the Flyers went 12-for-53 (.226).
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Starting pitcher Kylie Wilkerson pitched a complete game and struck out a team-high five Flyers in Game #2 to earn her third win on the season. The freshman is now tied with senior Carly Cooper with the most wins on the staff.
- Maddy Myers recorded two hits today, bringing her career total in hits to 98.
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Emily Lampela, Maddy Myers and Marlaina Bozek all recorded multiple hits in Game #2.
GAME ONE: GEORGE MASON 0, DAYTON 3
The Patriots and Flyers held each other scoreless for the first three innings of the game. It was not until the top of the fourth inning when the Flyers put up three runs and held the lead the score at 3-0 for the rest of the game.
Dayton's starting pitcher Izzy Kemp (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K) pitched a complete game shutout. After giving up a leadoff single to
Rachel Warrens (1-2) in the top of the first inning, the sophomore would retire the next seven Patriots in order, collecting five strikeouts along the way.
The Flyers' three runs came from an Emma Schutter (1-3, R, RBI) RBI double to left center and an Emily Daniel (1-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB) two-run single to left with the bases loaded.
Mason did their best to keep themselves in the game on the defensive side. In the top of the fifth inning, the Patriots turned the only double play of the day, and
Maddy Myers caught a lineout to make quick work of the Flyers.
The Patriots formed a late rally in the bottom of the seventh inning after
Elyssa DeRosa (2-3) led the inning off with a single to center, followed by a Dayton fielding error allowing
Emily Lampela (1-3) to reach first safely. Although Mason would have the tying run at the plate with zero out, Kemp and the Flyer defense forced a pop out, a flyout and a foul out to end the game and seal Game #1.
GAME TWO: GEORGE MASON 6, DAYTON 4
The Patriot bats created more noise in the second game, as the team out-hit the Flyers 11 to 6. Mason would also find an answer to every Dayton score in the bottom half of the inning and eventually took the lead in the bottom of the third inning.
Kylie Wilkerson (7.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO) went the distance for the fifth time this season and was rewarded with her third win. The Warrenton, Va., native struck out a team-high five batters en route to snapping Mason's eight-game skid.
In the first inning, both teams traded runs off errors resulting in unearned runs. Later, in the top of the third inning with the scored tied at one-a-piece, Dayton broke the deadlock with an Emily Daniel (1-4, R, 2 RBI) two-run single to left. Two batters later, a third run would be scored after a Patriot throwing error allowed Daniel to score.
At the bottom of the third inning down 4-1, the Patriots began their four-run rally after
Elyssa DeRosa (1-3, R, RBI) scored
Marlaina Bozek (2-3, R, BB) on a fielder's choice. Next to bat was
Emily Lampela (2-3, R, RBI), who shot an RBI single through the left side, scoring
Maddy Myers (2-4, R).
The final two runs scored in the inning was a
Zoe Vozick (1-3, 2 RBI) single up the middle that scored DeRosa and Lampela. Dayton's starting pitcher, Sarah Bailitz (2.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) would be knocked out of the game after the four-run effort.
Wilkerson and the Patriot defense settled in and recorded four shutout innings the rest of the way. An insurance run would be scored in the bottom of the sixth inning after a Flyer throwing error on the basepaths allowed
Charlotte Montgomery (1-3, R, SB) to score from third
UP NEXT
The Patriots will finish up the weekend series tomorrow, March 17, with a noon start time. The game can be followed on
livestats or can be watched on
ESPN+.
An updated game program for tomorrow can be found by
clicking here.
EDIT: After review, Lampela's fourth inning single in Game #1 has been changed to a Flyer second baseman error, as the force out attempt to get DeRosa out was bobbled. Lampela finished the day going 2-for-6 (.333) with one RBI.
