Softball knocked in their 11-game streak after facing off non-conference rival Georgetown Wednesday afternoon.
The Colonials (17-10) edged eight runs against the Hoyas (11-14) adding another game to their undefeated streak with 11 straight wins and improving their home record to 4–0. GW jumped ahead of Georgetown in the bottom of the third inning off a triple from graduate student utility player Sierra Lange that led to four runs for the team.
“Our team is playing well, and our offense is rolling, we’re getting great performances from our pitching staff and defense,” Schoonmaker said. “I feel like we’re playing good, complete softball right now, so it’s great.”
On defense, Lange collected her 13th win of the season on the mound, lasting six innings and conceding five runs on six hits while striking out six batters. On offense, Junior Utility player Maggie Greco followed close with a two-run double at the bottom of the first inning and two hits.
“But on the mound, she’s elite,” Schoonmaker said. “Whe keeps us in every game. She’s competitive, she spins the ball really well. Yeah, I don’t know that I’ve coached a player that’s as competitive as Sierra Lange.”
The Hoyas started off strong with a pair of home runs at the top of the first inning from senior catcher Mae Forshey and graduate first baseman Abby Smith. Smith hit a two-run homer into left field for her second of the afternoon and seventh of the season.
The Colonials quickly responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning after Greco hit a two-run double pushing their advantage 7–2 with bases loaded.
GW scored again in the third inning off an RBI walk from freshman pinch hitter Taylor Puig and a three-run triple from Lange. Lange said she stepped it up on offense because she was grateful her teammates had her back despite having a performance in which she “could have done better.”
“I just feel like I had to do it on offense since I was not doing it on defense,” Lange said. “So to just give back to the girls that were on the bases and get them to score was the main goal there.”
But the Hoyas came back in the fifth inning with graduate student shortstop Savannah Jones hitting a single to left field to score a run.
“We knew they were going to come out swinging – they like to hit the ball. They live by the long ball, so we knew we were going to have out work cut out for us,” Schoonmaker said.
The Colonials scored their final run of the game in the sixth inning after graduate student outfielder Olivia Vinyard scored on a groundout to second base from graduate student right fielder Maddy Dwyer. The Colonials finished the afternoon with eight runs on 10 hits in 28 at bats.
Schoonmaker said the team focuses on playing one inning at a time allowing them to make comebacks against their opponents.
“We talk about playing the game one half-inning at a time – if you try to make the game bigger than it is, that’s when you can get in trouble,” she said. “But our team does a nice job of keeping the game a half-inning at a time and keeping us in the games.”
Dwyer came in to pitch the final inning and collect her first save of the season. The Hoyas scored two runs against her, but it was not enough to overcome the Colonial’s defensive performance.
Schoonmaker said the win over Georgetown was great because they are a “very good team” that live by the long ball, but GW’s pitchers showed they were up to the challenge with a great defensive performance.
“I thought we found a way to win and the mark of elite teams are when you can find a way to win,” she said. “I thought we did a good job of that today.”
The Colonials took a weeklong break before facing Hampton in a non-conference doubleheader April 1 at 1 p.m.
