George Washington University
10-12
LAFAYETTE
6-10
GW Softball Sweeps Lafayette on Wednesday
3/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
WASHINGTON - Freshman Jayme Cone earned her first career victory in complete game fashion as the George Washington softball team swept Lafayette in doubleheader action on Wednesday at the GW Softball Field on the Mount Vernon Campus.
The Colonials (11-12) shutout the Leopards (6-11) in game one to take a 5-0 victory before triumphing in an eight-inning thriller, 3-2, in the nightcap.
GW scored first in game one, taking a quick, 1-0, lead in the first inning. Junior Megan Linn led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a passed ball. Sophomore Rochelle Draper then grounded out to shortstop, and the speedy Linn scored after employing a stealthy slide around the catcher, avoiding multiple tag attempts before touching the dish to put the Colonials ahead by one.
The Buff and Blue added cushion in the third, using three hits to plate four runs. Senior Carlee Gray and sophomore Alana Anderson worked back-to-back, one-out walks to set the stage for junior Paige Kovalsky's conference-best 10th double of the season, which put GW up, 3-0. Junior Monica Macchiarulo then dropped a smooth bunt single to put runners on the corners. An errant throw by the catcher on a first-and-third play allowed Kovalsky to score, and senior Morgan Matetic followed with an RBI single to give the Colonials a five-run lead after three innings of play.
Neither team would score for the remainder of the game as GW opened the day with a victory.
Sophomore starter Sarah Costlow tossed five stellar innings in the circle, yielding just three hits with no walks and striking out two before classmate Ashley Pilcher came on in relief in the sixth. Pilcher threw a pair of hitless innings to preserve GW's lead for the remainder of the contest.
A first inning walk and a double put Lafayette up, 1-0, to begin the nightcap.
The Colonials tied the score in the third, as Macchiarulo executed another bunt single and scored on a triple by sophomore Morgan Rinehart.
A pitchers' duel ensued until GW's half of the sixth, when Kovalsky put the Colonials ahead with a long solo blast to left field - her first home run of the season - to take a 2-1 lead.
In the top of the seventh, a costly defensive miscue put a runner on third with one out for the Leopards. A sacrifice fly plated the game-tying run before Cone worked out of the inning.
The Colonials nearly won the game in the seventh, working a bases loaded, no out, situation with hits by freshman pinch hitter Ashley Schnarrs, Rinehart and Linn to start the inning. A shallow fly ball prevented a run from scoring before Lafayette escaped the jam with the help of a fly ball turned 8-2-5 double play to catch the runner leaning at third.
The Leopards came out strong in the top of the eighth, putting a runner in scoring position with one out after a single and a sacrifice bunt. A hit batter and a single loaded the bases, but Cone registered a crucial strike out and coaxed a fly ball to close the inning unscathed.
GW got right to business in the eighth as Anderson singled and Kovalsky placed a bunt single to put two runners on. A fly ball by Macchiarulo advanced the runners. Sophomore catcher Aiyana Leal-Robles then worked a two-out walk to load the bases. Rinehart followed with a walk-off single to right to clinch the sweep with a 3-2 victory for the Buff and Blue.
Cone allowed just five hits and one walk, while striking out four, in the complete game effort to earn her first career victory.
Rinehart led the Colonials with a 3-for-6 effort at the plate with a pair of RBIs. Kovalsky (3-for-7, 3 Runs, 3 RBI), Gray (2-for-5, 1 Run), Macchiarulo (3-for-7, 2 Runs) and Linn (3-for-8, 1 Run) also recorded multi-hit days.
GW remains home to open Atlantic 10 play on Friday afternoon as La Salle visits the GW Softball Field for the first of three games over the weekend.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Costlow, Sarah (6-5)
L: Cherry, Lindsey (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Skurla, Miranda 1
SH: Biddle, Morgan 1
Base Running:
SB: Sweigart, Samantha 1
HBP: Sweigart, Samantha 1
PO: Wensel, Brooke 1
Batting:
2B: Kovalsky, Paige 1
RBI: Draper, Rochelle 1 ; Kovalsky, Paige 2 ; Matetic, Morgan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Linn, Megan 1 ; Gray, Carlee 1 ; Anderson, Alana 1 ; Kovalsky, Paige 1 ; Macchiarulo, Monica 1
SB: Macchiarulo, Monica 1
