The base-hit from freshman right fielder Alana Anderson would prove to be the game-winner in softball’s non-conference finale against the Hoyas (13-28) Tuesday, as a hard-fought 4-2 victory marked the Colonials’ (22-20, 4-11 A-10) fourth consecutive win at home.
“[Anderson] has been really clutch for us,” head coach Stacey Schramm said. “She is just very light-hearted, takes everything with a grain of salt, and so that allows her to kind of relax at the plate.”
Anderson was not the only first-year who shined in the two-run win, as freshman starting pitcher Sarah Costlow (14-16) was charged with just one run on five hits, and matched a career-high five strikeouts en route to her 17th complete game of the season.
Costlow’s 14th win of the year also broke the program record for wins by a rookie, previously set at 13 by teammate Meghan Rico in 2013 and Amanda Gabriel in 2007.
“This season has been up-and-down, but it’s not about the records, I’m just proud of my team for getting another team win,” Costlow said.
Sophomore second baseman Megan Linn led off with a double to left center in the bottom of the first to provide GW with some early offensive momentum. Moving to third on a wild pitch later in the inning, Linn then scored on a sac fly from sophomore left fielder Bradleigh Breland to put GW on the board first.
After Costlow tossed two hitless innings, the Hoyas finally broke through in the top of the fourth when a runner scored on a Colonials’ error to even up the score at one a piece.
Senior shortstop Tori Valos got her team going in the bottom half of the frame by reaching base on a walk and ending up on third after a Georgetown error. Junior first baseman Carlee Gray was also walked and replaced by sophomore pinch runner Marissa Mangini who, along with Valos, was driven in by Anderson to give GW’s ace some breathing room.
“It’s so much easier to pitch with a lead. For one it kills the other team’s momentum and two it just pumps me up to keep us in the game,” Costlow said. “Today we just came out and played together more as a team, which is ultimately the thing that’s holding us back when we don’t do well.”
The Colonials would tack on one more run in the bottom of the fifth when freshman center fielder Rochelle Draper tagged up on a deep sac fly from Valos. Georgetown would respond with an RBI-double in the sixth to bring its deficit down to two, but GW’s steadfast defense would hold on for the win.
Tuesday’s triumph comes just days after the Colonials fell victim to a disheartening series sweep at the hands of first-place Dayton, which put them at a bleak 4-11 in Atlantic 10 play. But Schramm applauded her team’s defensive improvement in the victory over Georgetown that concluded a healthy, 18-9 non-conference campaign.
“We worked ahead on hitters and got the lead-off hitter out in every inning,” she said. “That’s the one thing I preached over the weekend and we didn’t do a good job of it, so this time we challenged the hitters, we used our defense and whenever you get the first hitter out of the inning, the advantage is in your favor.”
The Colonials look to get back on track in league play this weekend when they travel to Fordham to kick off a three-game series with the Rams beginning Saturday at noon.
