This post was written Hatchet reporter Mark Eisenhaur
Saint Joseph’s overpowered GW on Saturday in crucial conference games, including a no-hitter.
After splitting a double-header against Hampton earlier this week, the women’s softball team resumed conference play Saturday at Saint Joseph’s where an overpowered GW team dropped both games by the scores of 11-0 and 7-5.
Saint Joseph’s sophomore pitcher Liz Mendez tossed a no-hitter against the Colonials in the day’s first game in which the Hawks won 11-0 in five innings.
Senior Courtney Martin started opposite Mendez in game one, a rare sight as of late because sophomore Meghan Rico and freshman Paige Kovalsky have combined to start the last 10 games for GW. While Martin started out strong in the first inning, the right-hander began to lose her edge early in the second.
“[Martin] started out well” head coach Stacey Schramm said. “Her change-up was working and I thought, alright this is exactly where we want to be. But as soon as she had one walk, all of a sudden it was kind of like all of the jitters came back.”
After allowing three runs in the second inning, Martin proceeded to give up a double and two walks that would eventually lead to a Saint Joseph’s grand slam. Rico and freshman Paige Kovalsky would both enter the game in relief, but the Hawks’ offense had already done the damage.
Mendez, who delivered a lights-out performance for Saint Joseph’s, struck out four GW batters and while only walking one, to carry her team to the 11-0 shutout.
The Colonials bats started to wake up in Saturday’s second game, beginning with sophomore Morgan Matetic, who belted a two-run homer to left field in the first inning to give GW an early lead.
But Saint Joseph’s managed to respond in a big way in the bottom half of the inning, scoring five runs against Rico on seven hits.
With two outs in the second inning and runners on first and third, a pair of steals by the Hawks led to another run scored, and highlighted GW’s defensive struggles all season.
“There is almost a sense sometimes where it’s like ‘well what’s one more run anyway’ but in reality it’s a lot,” Schramm said. “I mean it came down to the end where we were down by two. So we really just need to get in a more stingy mindset and not give away so many runs.”
RBIs by Matetic, junior Victoria Valos and freshman Marissa Mangini in the game’s closing innings would not be enough, as the Colonials would drop the game 7-5. The loss brings the Colonials to 2-8 in conference play, and hurt their chances of reaching the Atlantic 10 tournament in May.
“[The team] is just as, if not more frustrated, as I am at this point,” Schramm said. “We’re all in this together. There is no finger pointing and we are all trying to find a solution and try different things. Hopefully we can manage to turn things around and end things on a good note.
GW will play its next game April 22 in a non-conference matchup at Georgetown at 7 p.m.
