Mason Loses All Four Home Games

Photo by Peter Flint.

By Broadside Sports Editor Brian Chan.

| Softball vs. Virginia |
The softball team (13-18, 0-6) briefly held a two-run lead against the Virginia Cavaliers (20-9, 2-4), but the team fell for the seventh straight time after their 3-2 loss in eight innings.

Head Coach Joe Verbanic tweaked with his lineup, putting freshman second baseman Alyssa See batting at the leadoff spot and senior center fielder Alison Bryan hitting behind her. Bryan, who was held hitless in her last 12 at-bats including an 0-for-11 performance in last weekend’s series against the Towson Tigers, singled in the first inning. Freshman third baseman Tori Dudley hit her third home run of the season to give Mason the early 2-0 lead.

The Cavaliers answered with two runs in the second inning after left fielder Alison Pittman tied the game with her RBI single.

Mason had a run-scoring opportunity in the third inning with runners in scoring position with just one out, but the team was unable to take advantage of the situation. Mason was held in check in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings as the Cavaliers pitcher Karla Wilburn (15-4) retired the last 14 batters she faced.

Junior pitcher Becky Anderson (7-12) was phenomenal throughout the game despite having some control problems in the first two innings. She loaded the bases in the first inning, but was able to get out of the jam. In the second inning she gave up three consecutive hits, which led to two runs. From there she allowed only one hit, which was a fifth-inning single.

However, the Cavaliers came through in the eighth inning. With Pittman starting off at second base, their next two batters were able to move the runner over, including an RBI groundout from catcher Carly Winger.

See had an opportunity to advance from second base, but by the time she advanced to third, Mason already had two outs. Dudley was the team’s last chance, but her popout ended the game.

In the pitchers’ duel, Wilburn went eight innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out five batters. Anderson, on the other hand, gave up just four hits and three runs, two of which were earned. Mason continues to rely on their ace in Anderson. She currently leads the CAA with 118-2/3 innings, which is 25-2/3 more than the pitcher with the second most.

­| Softball vs. Virginia |
Unlike the first game, Mason (13-19, 0-6) had to play from behind throughout the second game as the team lost for the eighth consecutive time after their 5-1 loss to the Cavaliers (21-9, 2-4).

First baseman Sarah Tacke hit a two-run shot with two outs in the first inning. Third baseman Abby Snyder got on with a leadoff walk in the second inning and stole both second and third base. She eventually scored on a single from right fielder Casey Steffan. The Cavaliers would threaten with bases loaded in that inning after Pittman bunted her way for a single. Center fielder Giannina Cipolloni hit into a fielder’s choice as Bryan, who played at first base in the second game, fielded the grounder and threw to home plate for the force out. Mason got out of the inning as Winger grounded out to the pitcher.

Mason’s offense was held hitless in the first five innings and had only two base runners. As the Cavaliers tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning to extend their lead to 5-0, Mason started to come alive in the sixth inning. See and third baseman Rachael Davies singled, giving Mason an opportunity with runners on first and third base. Dudley, who ended up providing Mason with all of their RBIs on Tuesday, singled in See from third base. The three RBIs from the two games now give Dudley a total of 17 for the season.

Mason again had another crack at closing the gap in the seventh inning. With bases loaded, Bryan came on as the tying run. She popped out, ending Mason’s chance at a comeback.

Pittman had another strong game after going 3-for-4 in the second game. No other player for either team recorded more than one hit.

Pitchers Nicole Koren (1-0) and Stephanie Coates combined for four no-hit innings. Freshman pitcher Miranda Cranford (5-4) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs on nine hits. She also struck out four and walked four batters.

| Softball vs. Drexel |
Cranford was lights out in the first game after striking out four batters in three innings of relief, but it was not nearly enough as the softball team (14-21, 0-7) could not rally from a six-run deficit in the seventh inning in their 6-3 loss to the Drexel Dragons (16-11, 4-3).

Anderson (7-14) struggled early in the game, especially in the second inning when she yielded four runs. Catcher Ashley Botelho drove in the Dragons’ fifth run after hitting a single off Anderson.

Mason’s starter gave up six runs on nine hits, but only one of the runs was earned.
Pitcher Hillary Allen (6-5) earned the win.

Senior third baseman Meghan Hill led off and reached base due to a fielding error in the seventh inning, followed by a single from See. Bryan walked to load the bases and Hill would score on an RBI groundout from Davies. After Dudley walked with one out to load the bases again, Anderson popped out. Cranford came on and hit a single to center field, but Williams recorded the outfield assist as third baseman Devon Metcalf put the tag on Dudley.

| Softball vs. Drexel |
Mason (14-22, 0-8) squandered a 4-1 lead and ended up falling for the eighth time in the CAA after the Dragons (17-11, 5-3) scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning.

The Dragons scored first in the first inning against Cranford, but Mason scored two runs each in the next two innings. Davies hit her second home run of the season in the first inning. Sophomore catcher Kara Weiner, who had an RBI single in the second inning, scored on a single from See later in that inning.

The Dragons slowly crept back as they closed the gap to two runs in the third inning. Pinch hitter Caprice DeMirjian singled in two runs in the fifth inning as Mason’s once three-run lead evaporated.

DeMirjian bunted in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning.

Mason had a shot at sending the game into extra innings in the seventh inning as they had two runners on, but Anderson grounded out to end the game.

Anderson (7-15) picked up the loss after she gave up three hits and two runs in the final three innings.

Allen (7-5) won the second game after coming on as a relief pitcher.

Mason fell for the 11th time in the last 12 contests and suffered a heartbreaker in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader after See had a perfect showing at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a walk.