George Washington University Athletics
GW Softball Opens Conference Play on Saturday
3/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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March 20, 2015
WASHINGTON - The George Washington softball squad takes an eight-game winning streak into its first Atlantic 10 matchup of the season as the team heads to La Salle on Saturday for a three-game weekend set at the Explorers' West Campus Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
For the first time this season A-10 play will feature a three game series, and each team will not take on every team in the conference. The Colonials will challenge all A-10 teams except for Saint Joseph's in 2015.
The Colonials (13-8) most recently downed Howard (6-17) on Thursday, 9-3, to snap the four-game win streak of the Bison.
Freshman pitcher Sarah Costlow (10-6), the reigning A-10 Pitcher of the Week, notched her seventh consecutive victory with strong offensive performances behind her. Senior Victoria Valos led the way at the plate with a 2-for-2 performance and a pair of RBIs, and classmate Samantha Dos Santos and junior Morgan Matetic each recorded two hits as well.
La Salle (1-6) enters the weekend after falling to Sacred Heart (4-12), 7-4, on Sunday. The Explorers have experienced a weather-shortened first portion of the season, as they were unable to play a game until March 4.
Christina Bascara leads all Explorers offensively with a .294 average and a .529 slugging percentage. In the circle, Mary Cate Scott claims a team-best 0.39 ERA in 18 innings of work with a 1-2 record this spring.
GW trails in the all-time series with La Salle, 12-10, but has won four of the last six meetings, dating back to the 2012 season, when the current seniors were freshman. In last year's match-up, the Buff and Blue split a doubleheader, taking game one in a complete game, 9-0, shutout by junior Meghan Rico before falling, 7-3, in the nightcap. Junior Morgan Matetic hit a team-best 3-for-6 on the day while Sophomore Megan Linn went 3-for-7 with a pair of RBIs and four runs scored.
In 2013, the Explorers snapped the Colonials' 12-game win streak at the time, the longest in program history, defeating GW, 6-4, in game two of a doubleheader.
First pitch in Saturday's single game is slated for 4 p.m., while Sunday's doubleheader will begin at 12 p.m. at the Explorers' West Campus Field. Fans can follow along with live stats for day one here, and day two here.
