FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason softball team (10-21, 2-4 A-10) lost to #12/13 Missouri (28-7, 3-3) 11-2 in six innings. The Patriots drop the first game of the four-game homestand.

PATRIOT HIGHLIGHTS

• Sydney Bales went 3-for-3 with one RBI and a double to put the Patriots on the board

• Kaleigh Friend recorded an RBI for the second consecutive game.

• Rachel Warrens extends her hitting streak to 13.

• The Patriot defense turned the game's two only double plays in the fourth and sixth innings.

•  Logan Pickford's double in the bottom of the third inning hit the top of the left field wall and was close to being a home run.

 

GEORGE MASON 2, MISSOURI 11 (6 INNINGS)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by George Mason Softball (@gmusoftball)

The game began with a clean 1-2-3 inning by starting pitcher Carly Cooper (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R) which lasted only 10 pitches.

The Patriots would use three more pitcher throughout the game. Kylie Wilkerson (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER) took the second inning, Jordan Tallman (1.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 K) took the third and Haleigh Dellow (3.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 1 K) pitched the game's final three innings.

Missouri scored the first run of the game in the top of the second inning on a Mya Dodge (3-3, 2 R, 5 RBI, 3 2B) RBI double which scored Katie Chester (1-1, R, RBI, HBP) from second. It was an unearned run, as Chester got on board because of a Patriot infield error.

The Tigers would score four more runs the following inning by hitting four consecutive singles and being hit by pitch twice. At the end of three, the Tigers were up 5-0.

The Patriots would score their first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. After leadoff hitter Elyssa DeRosa (1-3, R) got on base with an infield single, Sydney Bales (3-3, R, RBI, 2B) hit an RBI double down the left field line. Bales was Mason's best hitter of the day, as the La Plata, Md., native went 3-for-3 for the first time this season. Her three hits in one game was also a career-high.

Defensively, the Patriots turned the two only double plays of the game, which both ended the inning. In the top of the top of the fourth, Emily Lampela (0-3) first caught a fly out then proceeded to throw it all the way back to catcher Logan Pickford (1-3, 2B) who then threw it to third baseman Dara Sharpe (0-1, BB) to tag the diving Kayley Lenger (2-2, R, BB, SB) out who was caught in between third and home.

The second inning-ending double play was in the top of the sixth when there were runners on second and third. Jenna Laird (1-4, R, RBI) lined out to second baseman Marlaina Bozek (0-2, BB) who then flipped it to Rachel Warrens (1-3, SB) to touch second base for the second out since the Tigers did not tag up in time.

Mizzou would score two runs in the fifth and four more in the top of the sixth to put the game out of reach for the Patriots.

Warrens extended her hitting streak to 13 games after lacing a single up the middle in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The last run scored in the game was in the bottom of the bottom of the sixth inning. After Bales got on board with her third single of the day and Sharpe drew a walk, first baseman/designated player Kaleigh Friend (1-3, RBI, SB) knocked an RBI single to right field, scoring Bales from second. The freshman from West Des Moines, Iowa, has now recorded an RBI in two consecutive games for the Patriot.

Because the score was 11-2 and it was past the fifth inning, the game was officially called after the end of the sixth by Run-Rule. 

UP NEXT
The Patriots will return to A-10 action starting with a doubleheader against Fordham tomorrow, March 29. First pitch of Game One is scheduled for 2 p.m. with Game Two being slated for 4:30 p.m., or 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game One. The third game of the series with the Rams will be on Saturday, March 30 at noon.

GAME PROGRAM: CLICK HERE
LIVESTATS: CLICK HERE

WATCH (ESPN+)
FORDHAM – FRIDAY @ 2 P.M (GAME ONE): CLICK HERE
FORDHAM – FRIDAY @ 4:30 P.M (GAME TWO): CLICK HERE
FORDHAM – SATURDAY @ NOON: CLICK HERE