Fourth Estate/Jordan Giles
The Patriots dropped their third straight A-10 series
BY GABRIEL KING, SPORTS EDITOR
Mason softball fell to Fordham in their third Atlantic 10 series of the season. The teams split a doubleheader on Friday, with the Patriots (11-23, 3-6 Atlantic 10) winning 2-0 in game one and the Rams (14-19-1, 5-4) taking game two in five innings, 10-1. In Saturday’s rubber match, Fordham won a 3-1 pitcher’s duel to secure the series win.
In the first game, senior pitcher Carly Cooper led the Patriots with six shutout innings for her fifth win of the season. This was Cooper’s second scoreless outing of the season, as she also pitched a complete game shutout against Lehigh on Feb. 16. Her ERA now sits at a team-leading 3.88.
Senior second baseman Marlaina Bozek knocked in the game’s first run with an RBI single in the third inning. Graduate student shortstop Rachel Warrens added an insurance run in the fifth inning with an RBI double. Warrens is second on the team with 15 RBIs.
Junior pitcher Jordan Tallman earned the save with a 10-pitch seventh inning, which secured the victory for Mason.
In game two, the Rams jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed in the game. First baseman Eva Koratsis extended Fordham’s lead with a leadoff home run in the fourth inning. The Rams scored five runs in the fourth and four runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach.
The Patriots used three pitchers in game two, including freshman Kylie Wilkerson. Wilkerson struggled in her eighth career start, allowing six runs in just 3.1 innings of work. In relief, Tallman couldn’t capitalize on her strong performance in game one, as she allowed four runs and walked three in one inning. Freshman Haleigh Dellow got the final two outs for the Patriots.
Fordham pitcher Holly Beeman stifled Mason’s offense in her complete game victory. Beeman struck out three Patriots and allowed four hits in her five innings. Bozek broke the shutout with a triple in the fifth inning, but that would be Mason’s only run. With the Rams leading by nine runs after five innings, they won via the run rule.
In game three, Cooper delivered another stellar outing, but the Patriots fell short. In the loss, Cooper pitched a complete game, allowing just three runs. Mason’s offense only scored one run for the second straight game, resulting in a series loss.
After a single from Mason’s Emily Lampela, the Patriots cut the deficit to two in the seventh inning. Mason had the bases loaded with two outs, but failed to bring in the game’s tying runs.
The Patriots will return to play on Tuesday with a doubleheader at George Washington. The Revolutionaries sit at 18-15 and are coming off a series loss against Saint Louis. The first game on Tuesday is scheduled for 12 p.m.
