George Washington University
13-12, 2-0
LA SALLE
7-13, 0-2
GW Softball Completes Sweep of La Salle
3/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
WASHINGTON - The George Washington softball squad won both ends of Saturday's doubleheader with La Salle to complete a series sweep in the first weekend of Atlantic 10 Conference play at the GW Softball Field on the Mount Vernon Campus.
The Colonials (14-12) rallied late in the first game of the day to take a 6-4 victory before grabbing a 6-3 triumph in the series finale.
The Buff and Blue scored first in game one after sophomore Alana Anderson slapped a single with two outs. Senior Carlee Gray then doubled to right center to drive in Anderson and give the Colonials an early 1-0 lead.
A troublesome inning in the field allowed La Salle to pull ahead in the third, as two hits, one walk and three errors led to three runs and a 3-1 advantage for the Explorers.
GW responsed with a run in the bottom half of the inning, again sparked by a single from Anderson. Junior Monica Macchiarulo smacked an RBI double to cut the deficit to one.
La Salle added a run in the fifth, again with the help defensive miscues, to take a 4-2 lead.
GW put together a big fifth inning, beginning when Anderson reached on an error to lead off the inning and then stole second. Consecutive bunt singles by junior Paige Kovalsky and Macchiarulo loaded the bases for senior Morgan Matetic, who singled to drive in a pair of runs. Rookie Ashley Schnarrs then singled up the middle to plate Macchiarulo, and a sacrifice fly by junior Megan Linn drove in the fourth and final run of the inning to put the Colonials up, 6-4.
Sophomore starter Sarah Costlow closed out the contest without allowing a run to grab her team-best eighth victory of the season in her eighth complete game effort.
Macchiarulo tied a program high with four hits in the game, hitting safely in each at bat to set a new career best. Anderson (2-for-4, 3 Runs) and Matetic (2-for-2, 2 RBI, 1 Run) also tallied multi-hit games as GW posted 11 hits overall.
The Colonials again scored first in the series finale as Linn singled up the middle to begin the bottom of the first. An error by the Explorers advanced Linn and allowed Anderson to reach base. The speedy Linn then swiped third and scored on another La Salle miscue to take a 1-0 lead.
A double and a home run for La Salle in the third gave the Explorers a 2-1 advantage, but GW answered in the bottom of the inning after Linn tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Rochelle Draper to tie the contest.
GW took the lead in the fourth after Kovalsky walked and Macchiarulo dropped a bunt single with one out. A double steal put two runners in scoring position for Matetic, who singled in one run before a sacrifice fly by sophomore catcher Aiyana Leal-Robles plated another to put the Colonials ahead, 4-2.
The Buff and Blue added insurance in the fifth when both Linn and freshman Riley Tejcek singled to start the frame. Linn stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Anderson, and Tejcek moved to second on the tardy throw to the plate. A wild pitch allowed Tejcek to advance and then score on a single by Gray for GW's sixth and final run.
La Salle added one run in the sixth after a hit batter, ground ball and a pair of wild pitches led to a run. Sophomore hurler Ashley Pilcher came on in relief of freshman starter Jayme Cone and notched two quick outs to close the inning.
Pilcher recorded the first save of her career, tossing 1.2 innings of scoreless, hitless ball to preserve a 6-3 victory. Cone got the win - the second of her young career.
Linn matched a career and program high with four hits in game two while scoring three runs to lead GW at the plate.
With the three-game sweep, the Colonials opened conference play with a perfect 3-0 mark and improved to 12-3 at home this spring with a five-game home winning streak.
GW concludes its seven-game homestand on Tuesday when Cornell visits the GW Softball Field for doubleheader action.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Costlow, Sarah (8-5)
L: SCOTT (5-1)
Batting:
2B: HAGARTY 1 ; GAYNOR 1
RBI: SCHWEIGERT 1 ; OBERT 1
SH: HAGARTY 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HAGARTY 1 ; BASCARA 1 ; PINEIRO 1 ; SCHWEIGERT 1
SB: OBERT 1
HBP: HEYER 1
Batting:
2B: Gray, Carlee 1 ; Macchiarulo, Monica 1
RBI: Linn, Megan 1 ; Gray, Carlee 1 ; Macchiarulo, Monica 1 ; Matetic, Morgan 2 ; Schnarrs, Ashley 1
SH: Leal-Robles, Aiyana 1
SF: Linn, Megan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Anderson, Alana 3 ; Kovalsky, Paige 1 ; Macchiarulo, Monica 1 ; Matetic, Morgan 1
SB: Anderson, Alana 1 ; Kovalsky, Paige 1 ; Macchiarulo, Monica 2 ; Matetic, Morgan 1 ; Rinehart, Morgan 2
