George Washington University
3-6
Virginia
3-9
GW Softball Smacks Four Home Runs in Win Over Virginia
2/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
ORLANDO, Fla. - The George Washington softball team defeated Virginia, 16-9, for the first time in program history before falling to Elon, 7-2, in the nightcap on day two of the Citrus Classic at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex on Saturday.
In game one, The Cavaliers (3-10) struck first after a walk and two stolen bases led to a sacrifice fly to put Virginia up 1-0 after one. The Colonials (3-7) tied it up in the top of the second on a solo home run by junior Samantha Dos Santos.
GW scored two more in the fourth after freshman Aiyana Leal-Robles was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before freshman Rochelle Draper followed with a RBI walk to give the Colonials a 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, Virginia scored once on two hits, but the Colonials answered back with their second solo home run of the game, this time by junior Carlee Gray in the top of the sixth. Singles by senior Victoria Valos and junior Morgan Matetic in the seventh set up Gray for her second RBI of the game as she smacked a double into the gap to give the Colonials a 5-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
A single, hit batter and walk issued by sophomore starter Paige Kovalsky in the bottom of the seventh set up a three RBI double by the Cavaliers' Kaitlin Fitzgerald to tie the game.
Both teams would score one in the eighth with the International Tie Breaker rule in affect. Doubles by Dos Santos and Matetic would plate two more for GW in the ninth, only to be answered by two more from UVa on two hits and an error by the Colonials to send the game to the 10th.
With a runner on second to start the 10th, the Colonials quickly loaded the bases on a fielder's choice and bunt single. Valos walked to plate a run before Matetic boomed a grand slam to put GW up by five. Gray then reached on an error and Dos Santos was hit by a pitch to set the stage for Draper's first collegiate dinger, a three-run shot to put the Colonials up by eight.
Virginia would score one in the bottom of the inning, but could not overcome the deficit as the Colonials recorded their first-ever win over the Cavaliers with the help of 16 hits and four home runs.
Kovalsky (2-0) pitched her second-consecutive complete game, tossing all 10 innings while yielding nine hits and nine runs, six earned, and striking out five. The righty also went 2-for-5 with a walk and a run scored at the plate in game one.
Matetic's slam marked the eighth in program history, and the first since Gray's game-winner against Ohio State in 2013.
In game two, Elon (4-4) plated seven in the second against junior starter Meghan Rico on three hits, two walks and two errors to give the Phoenix a lead that would last all game. Neither team would score again until the seventh, when the Colonials attempted a late comeback when sophomore Marissa Mangini led off the inning with a walk, followed by a single by freshman Alana Anderson. An error and a passed ball allowed GW to score two, but Elon's lead was too much for the Colonials.
Dos Santos finished the day 3-for-6 with two RBIs and three runs scored while Gray went 4-for-9, also with a pair of RBIs and three runs scored.
The Colonials will take on Morgan State (0-5) on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. to wrap up the Citrus Classic.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kovalsky, Paige (2-0)
L: Alex Formby (0-4)
Batting:
2B: Gray, Carlee 1 ; Santos, Samantha 1 ; Macchiarulo, Monica 1
HR: Matetic, Morgan 1 ; Gray, Carlee 1 ; Santos, Samantha 1 ; Draper, Rochelle 1
RBI: Valos, Victoria 1 ; Matetic, Morgan 4 ; Gray, Carlee 2 ; Santos, Samantha 2 ; Leal-Robles, Aiyana 1 ; Macchiarulo, Monica 1 ; Draper, Rochelle 4
SH: Breland, Bradleigh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Linn, Megan 1 ; Breland, Bradleigh 1 ; Valos, Victoria 2 ; Matetic, Morgan 2 ; Kovalsky, Paige 1 ; Gray, Carlee 3 ; Santos, Samantha 3 ; Draper, Rochelle 3
SB: Linn, Megan 2 ; Santos, Samantha 2
HBP: Santos, Samantha 1 ; Leal-Robles, Aiyana 1
Batting:
2B: Kaitlin Fitzgerald 1
RBI: Allison Davis 2 ; Danni Ingraham 1 ; Kaitlin Fitzgerald 5 ; Megan Harris 1
SH: Megan Harris 1
SF: Kaitlin Fitzgerald 2 ; Megan Harris 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Allison Davis 1 ; McKall Miller 3 ; Heidi Velk 1 ; Kinza Baad 1 ; Aimee Chapdelaine 1 ; Taylor Sarcone 1 ; Brittany McNulla 1
SB: McKall Miller 1
CS: Allison Davis 1
HBP: Allison Davis 1 ; McKall Miller 1
