Softball (20-20, 6-9 A-10) dropped two of three games against Saint Joseph’s (19-18, 12-3 A-10) on the Mount Vernon Campus this weekend.
The Revolutionaries faced tight competition against their conference counterparts throughout most of the series, taking the first game in walk-off fashion and losing the last two games of the series by a combined three runs. All three games in the series were decided by two runs or less.
Game 1:
Trailing by two runs down to their final out of the seventh inning, the Revolutionaries came back to defeat the Hawks 4-3 in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
The Hawks struck quickly, notching two runs in the first inning. The Revolutionaries struggled to gain a lead against Hawks senior pitcher Emily Siler, managing only two hits in the first five innings and finding themselves in a 3-0 deficit when they stepped to the plate in the penultimate inning.
They failed to get on the board early, stranding a runner in each of the first four innings. Graduate student Maggie Greco doubled in the third inning but was left on base.
However, the Revolutionaries started to turn things around in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a double from graduate student catcher Allison Heffley and an RBI single from senior utility Alexa Williams to bring the tally to 3-1. Finally on the board, the momentum continued into the final inning.
With just one out remaining and runners on first and second, Greco stepped to the plate and hit an RBI double, tightening the game to 3-2. Next up at the plate, Heffley hit a single, which brought in two more runs, giving GW their first win of the series in walk-off fashion.
Sophomore pitcher Rose Cano gave up three earned runs on eight hits in the winning effort. The pitchers from both teams played the entire game.
Heffley went 2-2 with two doubles and a walk, scoring two runs on the night. Her batting average on the season now stands at .324. Greco, Heffley and Williams led the team, bringing in six of the eight hits and batting in all four runs.
Game 2:
In a low-scoring game, the Revolutionaries fell to the Hawks 1-0, closing out Saturday’s doubleheader with a loss while only recording five total hits throughout the game.
The teams battled each other for the first two innings with neither recording a hit. Freshman pitcher Sophia Torresso played the entirety of the game, grounding out two players in the first inning as well as obtaining a fly-out. Torresso, who has pitched 71.6 innings throughout the season and faced 300 batters, has only allowed for 56 runs.
The Revolutionaries struggled against the Hawks’ pitching, with no runs recorded throughout the third inning and several batters walking. Greco marked the first Rev to make it on base in the game when she walked to first, later stealing second. Heffley also recorded a walk shortly after, while Greco made it to third after a wild pitch. Williams clinched the Revs’ third walk of the inning, allowing Heffley to advance to second base.
The second inning cruised by for both teams with three players on each side unable to make it to first base.
The Hawks jumped into action in the third inning when a player’s single allowed for a runner to make it home, bringing the score to 0-1. The Revs attempted to reciprocate with senior infielder Alena Ramirez’s single to left field placing her on first base. Greco’s bunt allowed Ramirez to advance to second. The rest of the inning was unsuccessful for the Revs with no runs recorded.
Torresso collected three outs from the Hawks promptly at the top of the fourth inning. The Revs went out swinging but were only able to advance senior utility Sidney Torres to second base.
The Revolutionaries had a more successful fifth inning with several runners making it on base. Freshman infielder Cadence Gilliland advanced to second after Ramirez’s single to right field. After junior utility Gabby Polsky replaced Gilliland to pinch run, Greco bunted, with Ramirez making it to second and Polsky to third.
As Torresso continued to ground out the Hawks, the Revs were still unable to tie the game. Sophomore outfielder Ashley Corpuz made it to first base and later stole second. Similarly in the seventh inning, Greco’s single up the middle allowed her to land on first base, and Heffley’s ground out gave the opportunity for Greco to advance to second.
The Revs ultimately ended the game 0-1, falling to the Hawks in their second game of the day.
Game 3:
The Hawks and Revolutionaries went into the last game of their series tied 1-1, but the Hawks took the last win 8-6, snagging the series.
The Hawks got off to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Sophomore outfielder Ashley Corpuz countered with a solo home-run to get the Revolutionaries within one run in the third inning. A Corpuz sacrifice fly during her next at-bat brought in another run to even out the contest at two runs each in the fourth inning.
The scoring settled with the game tied as neither team scored a run in the fifth or sixth inning. However, the Hawks posted a monster seventh inning, scoring six runs by way of six hits, including a grand slam and two Rev errors.
The Revolutionaries responded in the final frame with a rally of their own thanks to Williams’ two-RBI double. Freshman outfielder Paige Hayward continued the comeback hitting a two-RBI double of her own and bringing the Revolutionaries within two runs. With the tying run at the plate, the Revolutionaries struck out, dropping the contest 6-8.
Freshmen Cece Smith and Toresso shared the pitching duties on the mound Sunday afternoon. Smith was dealt the loss (12-5) after giving up the grand slam in the last inning.
The Revolutionaries will host George Mason for a doubleheader Tuesday. The doubleheader was originally scheduled to be played April 2 but was postponed due to rain.
