The Colonials looked poised to snap their losing streak in the fourth inning of the second game of their doubleheader against James Madison.
Sophomore second baseman Julie Orlandi singled with a runner on first and no outs, creatingan opportunity for an offensive push. But Orlandi was ruled out, and the runner returned to first base- due to an error in the order of GW’s batting lineup.
It was a missed opportunity for the Colonials – they left the inning without a run, and failed to score for the rest of the game. GW dropped both games against James Madison, falling to 13-21-1 on the season. The Colonials have lost 11 of their last 13 games.
“I take full credit for that,” head coach Stacey Schramm said of the fourth inning error. “Usually we triple check that. Honestly, it would have probably been a big inning for us.”
GW fell behind early in game one, giving up four runs in the first inning as James Madison cycled through the lineup.
Junior Heidi Penna settled in after a shaky start in the first, allowing only one run in the following five innings, but her strong performance was counteracted by silent GW bats. Despite six hits, the Colonials only managed to post two runs in the first game, ultimately falling 5-2.
Penna continued her strong performance into the second game, allowing only two runs in three and one-third innings, behind a sound defensive effort. Senior shortstop Katie Terrazas set the defensive tone with a leaping catch in the first, and the Colonials committed no errors in game two.
“Our defense kept us in the game,” Schramm said. “We just couldn’t come up with the clutch hits.”
The Colonials continued to reach base, but were unable to drive across runs when it counted. Junior catcher Lauren Wilson started off the seventh inning with a single up the middle, attempting to rally the team to overcome their two-run deficit.
Terrazas followed with an infield single, and sophomore first baseman Sandi Moynihan, a Hatchet reporter, hit a sacrifice fly that scored a run. Colonials were unable to capitalize on the run, though, and the rally came up short as GW dropped its second game, 2-1, to James Madison.
“Defensively we’re playing well, we’re doing everything we are supposed to,” Terrazas said. “The other team is going to get hits, that’s just the way the game is played. As soon as we start stringing our hits together, we will be fine.”
Terrazas and the Colonials take to the road this weekend, facing Rhode Island at 3 p.m. April 22 and 12 p.m. April 23, and then traveling to Massachusetts to face off at 12 p.m. April 24.
