Fairfax, VA - The Iona College women's softball team thought they would be playing two teams in two days at the George Mason Invitational this weekend.
Weather forced Youngstown State to pull
out of the tournament leaving the Gaels and the host, Patriots, to play
a double-header on Sunday.
The first game of the double-header saw the teams each score four runs in the first four innings. Kaitlin Calogera led-off the opener with a double to left. After a ground-out pushed her to third, rookie Jessica Horvath's RBI single hugged the third baseline into left field to give Iona (2-4) a 1-0 lead after a half inning. George Mason (5-8) responded and drew two walks with the bases loaded to take a 2-1 advantage.
The Gaels came right back in the next half inning and staged a strong two-out rally. Erin Kyle hit an infield single that the shortstop couldn't handle followed by a Calogera walk. Rookie catcher Melanie Gettins, who went 1-for-3 on the day, tied the game with a single to center that scored Kyle. Horvath picked up her second RBI in two innings as the Patriots' shortstop couldn't handle the ball of Horvath's bat and the Gaels were up 3-2. George Mason again came right back as with one swing of the bat, Ashli Breau plated two and made it 4-3.
Iona didn't let any time pass as their next trip to the plate, the Maroon and Gold tied the score with the same cast of characters. Gettins drew a walk and advanced all the way to third as Horvath grabbed her second single of the game, this one to center field. Senior Lolli Mills plated Gettins with a single through the left side of the infield to tie the game, 4-4. The back and forth scoring of the early innings was non-existent as the pitchers started to take control. Rookie RHP Amanda Berard, who came on in relief of starter
Becky Riccitelli, pitched strong 5.0 innings of scoreless four softball and stranded eight runners. Paige Miller pitched 5.1 innings in relief for George Mason with six hits, one run, a walk and eight strikeouts. The game stretched into the bottom of the ninth inning where the Patriots used three hits including the game-winner, an RBI double to left center by Katyln Winter, to edge the Gaels 5-4.
The Maroon and Gold hoped to build off this loss in game two, but the Patriots came out too strong. The Patriots put up four runs on four hits including a two-run homerun by Ashli Breau and a solo homerun by Katyln Winter and the Gaels never recovered as they fell 7-1. Rookie Melanie Gettins went 2-for-4 on the day and scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the fifth on a Valerie Laschen sacrifice fly. Head Coach Jaime Wohlbach got some good innings from her rookies as Berard and teammate Kelsey Griffin combined to throw four innings with three hits, one run, a walk and strikeout in the loss.
The Gaels return to the oval on Tuesday, March 11 as they head up the Hudson to face Army for a double-header beginning at 3:30 pm.
