April 5, 2008

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason softball team dropped a pair of run-rule decisions to the Georgia State Panthers, 14-0 and 8-0, in five innings in Colonial Athletic Association action Saturday afternoon at George Mason Field. Mason dropped to 2-6 in the conference and 10-23 overall, while the Panthers improved to 27-8, 6-2 in the CAA.

The Patriots were unable to plate a run during the doubleheader, as strong pitching performances by GSU's Madison Gore (9-2) and Ashley Cowan (6-2) held Mason to 11 hits on the day. Two different Panthers recorded three hits in the series opener, including Catherine Lee who added three RBIs. Mason was led by a two-hit game from sophomore Ciera Jones. In the second game, Jones again led the team with a 2-for-2 showing, while Rachel Cunningham's 3-for-3, two-RBI outing paced the Panther offense.

From the outset of the first game, Georgia State's offense proved overwhelming. All nine starters reached base and scored in the first inning, as junior Kelsey Mack (0-5) was tagged with the loss after allowing the first seven runs. GSU was held scoreless in the second inning but responded with three runs in the third, on a Lee double and a pair of RBI sacrifice flies by Lauren Jones and Jessica Gowin.

Gowin rounded out the game-one scoring with her two-run home run to left field in the top of the fifth.

After a short break, the teams retook the field and Mason had success quieting the Panther bats in the early innings, save for a solo shot by Natasha Berry in the first. Sophomore Becky Anderson (8-10) allowed just one other run through the first three innings, a Cunningham RBI single to center in the third.

However, Georgia State exploded for five runs in the top of the fourth, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Lee down the left field line, which was preceded by a run-scoring groundout by Berry. Gowin and Cunningham added RBI singles of their own to make the score 7-0. Alicia Mills punctuated the day with her home run in the top of the fifth to leave the score 8-0.

The Patriots will try to prevent the series sweep on Sunday morning when the two teams meet again at 11 a.m., in Mason's last home CAA contest before a two-weekend conference road swing.