Last season, the Colonials picked up a dramatic 6-5 comeback win over Towson.
But GW (11-17) was unable to repeat that achievement Tuesday, falling 10-0 at the hands of the Tigers in only five innings. Coming off a three-game sweep in Delaware, the Tigers were playing with confidence, dealing the Colonials with their 17th loss this spring.
After GW was swept by Fordham Saturday, it did not get off to a fast start against the Tigers, with five strike outs in the first two innings. The Tigers (16-21-1) started the scoring in the second inning, when a walk and a stolen base allotted a single to left.
GW head coach Stacey Schramm attributed the Colonials’ inefficient first innings to a combination of a well-equipped opposing pitcher with a fast arm and her team’s lack of metal preparation at the onset of the game.
“We had a shaky start to the game after arriving late and not having the proper amount of time to warm up,” Schramm said. “As much as I tried to tell my girls to relax and take a moment to get mentally prepared, they just never got it done. We were just swinging and missing.”
The third inning featured inconsistent pitching leading to solid hits by the Tigers, proved challenging for the Colonials as they tried to rack up runs on the scoreboard.
GW tried to counter Towson’s threats in the top of the third with two runners on base after senior Amanda Zakeri’s infield single and junior Alexandra Del Prete advancing to third. However, the Colonials’ efforts didn’t come to fruition. They failed to put any tallies on the scoreboard.
“We went through the first two innings with five strikeouts, and in the third we tried to make adjustments – moving either to the front or back of the box – and we ended up getting a couple people on base with two outs,” Schramm said. “However, with two outs it is a little harder to make something happen. We just were not as successful on the plate today.”
By the middle of the third, freshman Meghan Rico gave up four walks and a hit that contributed to the Tigers’ nine runs, including two homers to center field.
After the scoreboard reached 10-0, the Colonials were not able to gain enough momentum to counter the Tigers’ threatening and devastating lead before the fourth inning commenced.
“We have been really trying to work on consistency with Meghan Rico, and she had a great start with only one walk and a little flare over the shortstop ledge that led Towson to score a run with two outs,” Schramm said. “The game was still manageable at that point, but then she came back in the following inning and threw a couple walks here and there, and then the next thing you know, the hitter comes out to hit a grand slam.”
After the Tigers’ home runs late in the third, Schramm advised Rico to use the rest of the game to focus on refining her pitching as preparation for her next start. However, Rico’s competitive edge got the best of her, and along with her team’s escalating frustration without an appearance on the scoreboard, the Colonials could not make any of their efforts materialize.
As the Colonials face off against Butler Friday, Schramm hopes her players will take this game as learning experience to move forward.
“This was a big slap in the face to get our butts kicked this badly and losing out to them in five innings should be enough motivation for them to make a change in next Friday’s game against Butler,” Schramm said.
