George Washington University
7-7
GARDNER-WEBB
9-9
GW Softball Sweeps Day 1 of Capital Invite
3/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
WASHINGTON - Junior Megan Linn tallied four hits and drove in a pair of runs to lead the GW softball team to a pair of wins on Friday in the first day of the Capital Invite at the GW Softball Field on the Mount Vernon Campus.
The Colonials (8-7) defeated Gardner-Webb, 5-3, before an exciting, 4-3 win over Canisius to wrap the day.
Gardner-Webb (10-9) got out to an early lead in the first inning, plating two runs on one hit and four walks from junior starter Paige Kovalsky. With one out and the bases loaded, sophomore Sarah Costlow entered the circle and coaxed two quick outs to end the inning without further damage.
The Colonials got one back in the bottom of the inning as Linn singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Monica Macchiarulo. Senior Carlee Gray then smacked a booming double to center to plate Linn and cut the Runnin' Bulldogs' lead to 2-1.
A costly Gardner-Webb error in the second inning allowed the tying run to score for the Buff and Blue before the Colonials took the lead in the fourth. Freshman Ashley Schnarrs led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Morgan Rinehart. Linn plated the go-ahead run with a double to center and advanced to third on the relay. A sacrifice fly from Monica Macchiarulo scored Linn and gave the Colonials a 4-2 lead after four innings.
George Washington added an insurance run in the sixth, again with the help of a Gardner-Webb miscue, to take a 5-2 lead.
The Runnin' Bulldogs attempted to rally in the seventh but fell short, posting just one run to put the final score at 5-3 in favor of the Colonials.
In the nightcap, a pair of hits in the first led to a run for Canisius (2-14), but the Colonials answered in the bottom half of the inning. Linn led off the frame with a walk and later scored on squeeze bunt by Gray to tie the game, 1-1.
GW took the lead in the second stanza after sophomore Aiyana Leal-Robles singled with one out. Schnarrs' first career hit advanced Leal-Robles to second and another sacrifice bunt by Rinehart put a pair of runners in scoring position for Linn, who singled up the middle for an RBI and the lead.
Canisius came out swinging in the third, recording three consecutive singles to plate one run and tie the game at 2-2. The Golden Griffins edged ahead of the Colonials after a first-and-third play scored one before the side was retired.
Kovalsky entered the circle in the fourth in relief of Costlow and a pitchers' duel ensued until the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Rochelle Draper tripled with one out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Leal-Robles. Schnarrs then smacked a triple of her own, but was unable to score as the squads entered the seventh inning knotted at 3-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, Macchiarulo worked a one-out walk and moved to second on a ground ball by Gray. Sophomore Alana Anderson later hit a hard ground ball to first that was misplayed, allowing Macchiarulo to score the winning run, as the Colonials took the victory, 4-3.
Linn paced the Colonials with a 4-for-7 performance with three runs scored and two RBIs on the day and has now reached base safely in 18 consecutive games, dating back to 2015. Schnarrs (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 BB), Draper (2-for-5, 1 R) and Gray (2-for-7, 2 RBI) also tallied multi-hit days.
Earning the win in game one, Costlow improved to 5-2 on the year and owns a team-best 2.57 ERA. Kovalsky (3-3) bounced back in game two and tossed four innings of shutout relief with six strikeouts to claim the victory.
The Colonials continue play in the Capital Invite on Saturday afternoon, taking on Akron and Gardner-Webb in doubleheader play beginning at 12:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Costlow, Sarah (5-2)
L: THOMPSON, M. (6-2)
Batting:
2B: WACASTER, K. 2
RBI: GIBBONS, M. 1 ; TERRY, D. 1 ; HARRIS, S. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GIBBONS, M. 1 ; CUMISKEY, R. 1 ; WACASTER, K. 1
Batting:
2B: Linn, Megan 1 ; Gray, Carlee 1
RBI: Linn, Megan 1 ; Macchiarulo, Monica 1 ; Gray, Carlee 1
SH: Macchiarulo, Monica 1 ; Rinehart, Morgan 2
SF: Macchiarulo, Monica 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Linn, Megan 2 ; Schnarrs, Ashley 2 ; Rinehart, Morgan 1
SB: Kovalsky, Paige 1 ; Anderson, Alana 1
