Breau Eclipses Single-Season Home Run Mark as Softball Splits at UNCW :: Sophomore belts her eighth home run of the year in loss; Anderson throws three-hit shutout

Sophomore belts her eighth home run of the year in loss; Anderson throws three-hit shutout

April 12, 2008

WILMINGTON, N.C. - The George Mason softball team traveled to UNC Wilmington this weekend and opened up the series with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Seahawks. In the second game, sophomore Ashli Breau etched her name into the Patriot record books with her eighth home run of the year, a two-run blast, but the Patriots' late rally fell just short as UNCW claimed a 3-2 victory.

After allowing just two runners in her complete game shutout on Wednesday, sophomore Becky Anderson (10-11) pieced together a similar outing Saturday, scattering three hits while striking out five. UNCW starter Brittney Lehrschall (4-8) took the loss after allowing the first three Mason runs.

Mason broke the scoreless tie in the third inning, as sophomore Ciera Jones' bases-loaded RBI walk put the Patriots ahead. A sacrifice fly by Breau in the next at-bat allowed the second run to cross the plate.

An RBI single by Breau in the fifth inning expanded the lead to three runs, and Mason rounded out its scoring with a run-scoring double by Jones in the top of the seventh.

After a short break, the two teams again took the field but it was the Seahawks who jumped out to an early lead. A two-RBI single in the second inning by Paige Wakefield put UNCW ahead 2-0, and the Seahawks tacked on another run in the frame when Meghan Murray singled, scoring Wakefield.

The three-run lead would hold up until the sixth, when Breau connected on a Samantha Lisowsky (2-5) pitch and drove it over the left field fence, which allowed Jones to score as well and close the gap to one run. Mason put two runners in scoring position in the seventh inning, but a game-ending strikeout by Amanda Aditays earned her the save and UNCW the victory. Junior Paige Krystofinski (1-5) took the loss for the Patriots.

Breau's eighth home run of the season moved her ahead of former Patriot standout Linda Young, who recorded seven in the 2002 season. Additionally, the round-tripper put Breau, in her first year with the Patriots, into sole possession of seventh place on the career home run list.

The two teams will do battle for the series on Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m.