Mason Softball is Out of the Rat Hole

Photo by Aaron Arenas.
Freshman Alyssa See went 3-for-8 on Saturday.

By Broadside Sports Editor Brian Chan

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The softball team (15-29, 1-15) snapped their 20-game losing streak in the CAA after defeating the University of Delaware Blue Hens (20-17, 6-8) 3-1 in their final home series of the 2009 season.

Junior pitcher Becky Anderson (8-19) surrendered only four hits on one run and received enough run support, winning for the first time since March 18. Despite getting into trouble in the seventh inning, Anderson got the Blue Hens to hit into a game-ending double play.

Mason jumped to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. The two seniors on the team, center fielder Alison Bryan and right fielder Meghan Hill played their third-to-last home game in Saturday’s doubleheader opener and were part of the big third inning. Hill led off the inning with a single and Bryan recorded a one-out single. Freshman shortstop Rachael Davies singled in Hill from second base.

Freshman third baseman Morgan Davis, who returned to the field after missing the last 14 games, smashed a double down the left field line and scored off Anderson’s single.

The Blue Hens responded with a run in the fourth inning after first baseman
Michelle Kenney doubled in shortstop Kim Ovittore from first base.

Anderson held the trio of catcher Quinn Megargel, third baseman Michelle Grap, and Ovittore hitless in eight at-bats. Anderson yielded only one extra-base hit and struck out two batters.

Mason won for the first since April 1 and broke their month-long drought at home, which last came on March 18 in their 2-1 win over the Mount St. Mary’s University Mountaineers.

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Mason (16-29, 2-15) exploded for nine runs in the first inning to sweep the Blue Hens (20-18, 6-9) on Saturday after their 10-4 win in the second game.

Mason loaded the bases with just one out and junior first baseman and pitcher Becky Anderson drove in the first run with a single through the left side. Three more RBI singles from freshman pitcher Miranda Cranford (7-9), freshman designated hitter and first baseman Anush Mooradian, and sophomore left fielder Stephanie Strother put Mason ahead 4-0. Freshman second baseman Alyssa See hit a two-run single with two outs to add to Mason’s lead and senior center fielder Alison Bryan doubled in Mason’s ninth run.

Mason added their 10th run in the third inning after See into a fielder’s choice, scoring Strother from third base.

The last time Mason took the first two games in a three-game series against a CAA opponent was against the Blue Hens in 2005 and the last time they swept a conference opponent was in 2004 against the Drexel University Dragons.