FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason softball team (15-30, 6-13 A-10) split the Saturday doubleheader against top-ranked conference opponent Saint Louis (25-16, 13-6 A-10) at the George Mason Softball Complex. The Patriots walked-off the Billikens in Game One via an Emily Lampela RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, while in Game Two, Mason lost 4-1.
PATRIOT HIGHLIGHTS
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Marlaina Bozek went 5-for-7 across both games. She went 3-for-4 with an RBI in Game One as well as going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk in Game Two.
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Sydney Bales hit her fourth home run of the season in Game One. She has now recorded a hit in 11 of her last 13 games.
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Emily Lampela hit her first-career walk-off hit in Game One.
GAME ONE: GEORGE MASON 5, SAINT LOUIS 4
In Game One, the Billikens jumped to an early lead with a Kelsey Etling (1-3, R, RBI, HR) leadoff home run in the top of the second inning. After that home run, however, Mason starting pitcher Carly Cooper (6.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) would retire the next 10 batters in order. Cooper would strike out five throughout the game and only allow one walk as well.
The Patriots quickly leveled the game in the bottom of the second inning with Sydney Bales' (2-3, 2 R, RBI, HR) fourth home run of the season. Her solo shot jumped right off the bat and carried into the trees a few yards behind the left field wall.
The score remained tied until the bottom of the fourth inning, where Mason put up three more runs. The first run was scored during
Dara Sharpe's (0-3, R, SB) at-bat, where she struck out swinging but still ran to first, as the third strike was dropped by the Saint Louis catcher Etling. The catcher made an errant throw to first, which allowed Sharpe to get on board safely and score
Emily Lampela (1-3, R, RBI, HBP), who was on third. Bales was also able to move from second to third base because of the error.
The very next at-bat, Sharpe forced another Billiken catcher error, this time by stealing second. During Rachel Warrens' (1-4) at-bat, Etling attempted to catch Sharpe stealing, but her throw went wide of the bag, allowing Bales to score. Sharpe would advance to third after Warrens was caught in a run-down after reaching first on yet another Billiken error, this time by first baseman Jane Kaniecki (0-3).
Marlaina Bozek (3-4, R, RBI) capped off the three-run inning with an RBI single to center, scoring Sharpe from third.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Patriot defense shut down any signs of a Saint Louis rally with an inning-ending double play. After Abby Mallo (1-3, 2B) led off with a double and Jocelyn Abott (1-3, R, 3B) struck out, Kendall Johnson (1-3, RBI) hit a fly out to shallow center, where Lampela charged in, caught it, and flipped the ball to second base where Warrens was covering to turn the double play.
The Billikens eventually began to chip into the Patriot lead, starting in the top of the sixth inning. After Natalie Sullivan (2-4, R, RBI, SB) laid a bunt single and stole second, Cami Newbanks (1-4, RBI, 2B) knocked an RBI double to center, scoring Sullivan. The Patriots were held scoreless in the bottom half of the inning.
With a 4-2 lead going into the top of the seventh, Mason faced Saint Louis' bottom of the order for a third time. After recording two quick outs, Abbot hit a triple to right center. The next Billiken capitalized on the situation, as Johnson lined an RBI single to left field, cutting the lead to just one run. At the top of the batting order, Abby Ulsas (1-3, BB) hit an infield single deep into short. With runners on first and second, Sullivan leveled the game with an RBI single to the right side.
After the game had been tied, starting pitcher Cooper was changed out for relief pitcher
Harlowe Nigh (0.1 IP, 0 R), who got the last Billiken batter to ground out to second after just two pitches.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bozek started the inning with another single to center field. After an
Elyssa DeRosa (1-3, BB) single and a
Logan Pickford (0-3, HBP) hit by pitch, the bases were loaded for freshman Lampela. On a 1-1 count, the Alexandria, Va., native muscled the game-winning RBI single to shallow right to score Bozek and take Game One.
GAME TWO: GEORGE MASON 1, SAINT LOUIS 4
Game Two saw a wire-to-wire victory by the Billikens, as they scored the first run in the top of the first inning and held the Patriots scoreless until there were two outs in the bottom of the seventh when they were already ahead multiple runs.
Marlaina Bozek (2-3, RBI, BB) was the only Patriot to record multiple hits in Game Two, as the senior went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Sydney Bales (1-4) recorded a hit as well, giving the senior outfielder her 11th recorded hit in the last 13 games.
Starting pitcher Jordan Tallman (5.2 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) struck out a season-high five batters on the day.
The Billikens took the lead in the top of the first inning with a Jane Kaniecki (3-4, RBI, 3B) RBI single to right field, scoring Abby Ulsas (1-3, 2 R, RBI, BB) from second. The score would remain 1-0 until the top of the sixth, when Saint Louis blew the game open with a three-run inning.
With runners on first and second, Ulsas hit an RBI single up the middle to score Abby Mallo (2-4, 2B) from second. With runners on first and second again, Natalie Sullivan (2-4, 2 RBI, 3B) cleared the bases with a two-run triple to right. At the end of the inning, Saint Louis was ahead 4-0.
The Patriots would spoil the Billikens' shutout bid, as Bozek hit her fifth single of the day in the bottom of the seventh with two outs. Her RBI drove in pinch runner Carly Cooper (1 R) from third.
Saint Louis would eventually record the final out of Game Two to ultimately split the Saturday doubleheader.
UP NEXT
The Patriots will play the final game of the series tomorrow, April 21, at noon. Sunday's game will also be Bark at the Park, where fans can bring their dogs to enjoy the game. Complimentary Mason Athletics dog bowls will be given out as well.
