March 23, 2008

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason softball team kept pace with Towson through seven regulation innings, but the Tigers scored the game-winner in the top of the eighth to take a 3-2 Colonial Athletic Association victory on Saturday at George Mason Field. Towson improved to 15-13 and 2-1 in the CAA with the win, while Mason fell to 7-17, 1-2 in conference play.

Sophomore Becky Anderson pitched a complete game but was tagged with the loss, while Towson's Shannon Johnston picked up the victory after throwing two perfect innings in relief. Offensively, Mason was led by two-hit days from junior Kelsey Mack, senior Kristin Dickel and junior Alison Bryan.

Mason jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after Dickel and Mack drove in a run in the first and second inning, respectively. Dickel singled to left with the bases loaded, scoring sophomore Shaniqua Steele to put the day's first run on the board. Bryan followed that up one inning later with a RBI base hit to center, scoring Bryan.

Towson answered back with a pair of runs in the third and fourth, on an RBI single by Nina Navarro and a run-scoring double to right-center from Emily Gould. In the fourth, the first five Tigers reached base, but the Patriots gave up just one run in the frame.

The score remained the same for the duration of the regulation innings. Gould led off the eighth with a single and advanced into scoring position on a fielding error. She moved over to third on an Emily Rosa single, and narrowly escaped the tag of Mason catcher Lesley Hassen on a Mindy Bean sacrifice fly, putting the Tigers ahead 3-2. The Patriots were retired in order in the bottom half, giving the Tigers the victory and a series win in both teams' opening weekend of CAA play.

Up next for the Patriots is a Wednesday road trip to Charlottesville, where they will face Virginia in a doubleheader set to begin at 1 p.m.