FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason softball team (7-10) split their Tuesday doubleheader to UMass Lowell (3-11) at the George Mason Softball Complex. The Patriots Run Ruled the River Hawks 14-4 in five innings in Game #1 but lost 5-3 in in extra innings in Game #2. They finish their first homestand with a 3-3 record.
PATRIOT HIGHLIGHTS
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The Patriots beat the River Hawks in five innings in Game #1 by scoring seven runs in the first inning, two runs in the second and five more runs in the fourth and only allowing four runs.
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Starting pitcher Jordan Tallman recorded her first win on the season in Game #1.
- Every Patriot in the batting lineup recorded a hit in Game #1 and set a season-high 14 hits in a single game.
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Both Rachel Warrens and Kamryn Inman recorded a game-high three RBI in Game #1. Warrens would record one more RBI in Game #2 with a triple.
- Haleigh Dellow went a career-high five innings in relief and recorded her first collegiate strikeout to end the top of the sixth inning.
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Harlowe Nigh continues to pitch strong relief innings, recording 2.2 more innings of shutout softball. The sophomore currently carries a streak of 6.2 innings of shutout pitching.
- The Patriots showed strong defensive efforts, especially from Rachel Warrens, Sydney Bales and Maddy Myers. Four double plays were also turned by Mason this afternoon.
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Marlaina Bozek currently has an eight-game hitting streak dating back to Feb. 24. During that streak, she is hitting .500 and leads the team in batting average, on-base percentage (.533), slugging (.643) and hits (14)
GAME ONE: GEORGE MASON 14, UMASS LOWELL 4 (5 INNINGS)
The River Hawks struck first in the top of the first inning in Game #1 with a three-run homer by center fielder Elizabeth Frederick. With the exception of one run scored in the third, the Patriots poured a season-high 14 runs and won the game by Run-Rule in the middle of the fifth inning.
After giving up the first runs of the game, the Patriots batted around in the bottom of the first inning and cashed in with a season-high seven runs in one inning. After
Rachel Warrens (2-3, R, 3 RBI, 2B, BB, SB) led off with a walk and stole second base,
current A-10 Player of the Week Marlaina Bozek (1-3, R, RBI) hit an RBI single up the middle, scoring Warrens. Third up to bat was
Maddy Myers (1-2, R, RBI, HBP), who also lined an RBI single up the middle, scoring Bozek.
Then, with the bases loaded,
Kamryn Inman (1-3, 2 R, 3 RBI) reached on a fielder's choice after
Sydney Bales (2-2, R, 2 RBI) beat out the throw to second, which allowed
Elyssa DeRosa (2-2, 3 R, HBP) and
Maddy Myers to score. The final run scored in the action-packed first inning was when the Patriots went to the top of the order, and
Rachel Warrens looped a single to right, scoring
Charlotte Montgomery (2-3, 2 R, RBI).
Rachel Warrens made the best defensive effort of the game in the top of the second inning. On a 2-1 count, leadoff hitter for the River Hawks Trinadey Santiago flared a shot to shallow left, tailing away from the shortstop. The senior from San Diego, Calif., stretched out and made a diving effort to rob Santiago of a hit.
Two more runs were scored in the bottom of the second inning, when
Sydney Bales hit an RBI single scoring DeRosa and
Logan Pickford (1-3, RBI, SB) hit a ground out RBI scoring
Emily Lampela (2-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI).
The final flurry of runs for the Patriots came in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Emily Lampela hit an RBI double, followed by a
Sydney Bales sacrifice fly to left.
Kamryn Inman later singled to center, followed by a
Charlotte Montgomery single through the left side. The final run of the game was a Warrens double up the middle, scoring Montgomery from second.
Jordan Tallman (4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K), in her third start, earned her first win of the year. Sophomore
Harlowe Nigh (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) pitched in the fifth and final inning of the first game, recording another shutout inning.
GAME TWO: GEORGE MASON 3, UMASS LOWELL 5 (8 INNINGS)
The second game was a more defensive game for both teams, with the Patriots scoring the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth. The River Hawks would find a way to tie the game with two outs in the top of the seventh before pulling away and winning the game in eight innings.
More defensive efforts by Mason were on display in the second game.
Sydney Bales (1-4, RBI) snagged an out in foul territory before running into the chainlink fence to record the final out of the second inning.
In the top of the fifth,
Maddy Myers (0-4) recorded an unassisted double play when the graduate student first basement caught a line drive and touched the first base bag before the River Hawk on base could tag up.
The Patriot defense would turn three double plays in the game, with two of them being done by
Rachel Warrens (2-4, 3B, R, RBI). The shortstop recorded them in the first and fourth innings.
The Patriots finally broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fifth inning when
Rachel Warrens hit an RBI triple to left center, scoring
Kamryn Inman (0-2, RBI, BB) from second. After Warrens was
Marlaina Bozek (2-4, RBI), who pulled an RBI single to left field.
The Patriots were holding a 2-0 lead up until there were two outs in the seventh inning. Up to this point, freshman
Haleigh Dellow (5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K) had been pitching a 4.2 inning shutout in relief. The Westfield, N.Y., native also recorded her first collegiate strikeout to end the previous inning. Unfortunately, the River Hawks were able to tie the game with two outs in the seventh and force extra innings.
UMass Lowell would go on to score three runs in the top of the eighth inning. The Patriots would get one more run back with a
Sydney Bales (1-4, RBI) two-out RBI single up the middle. However, UMass Lowell's relief pitcher Ryley White was able to secure the last out with a strikeout.
UP NEXT
Mason will will hit the road for their fourth and last tournament of the regular season this weekend, March 8-10, as they will travel to Conway, S.C., to participate in the Beach Chicken Brawl, hosted by Coastal Carolina. Along with the Chanticleers, the Patriots will face Boston and Ohio. Friday and Saturday will feature doubleheaders against Coastal Carolina and Boston, while Sunday's finale will be a single game against Ohio.
