George Washington University
3-5
ROBERT MORRIS
2-12
GW Softball Extends Home Win Streak on Friday
3/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
WASHINGTON - The George Washington softball team downed Robert Morris, 5-4, in an extra-innings thriller in the opening game of the three-day District Invite co-hosted by GW and Georgetown at the GW Softball Field on the Mount Vernon Campus.
Junior Megan Linn's two-run double in the bottom of the ninth clinched the victory for GW (3-5) as the squad extended its home win streak to eight games, dating back to last season.
GW took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after sophomore Rochelle Draper walked to lead off the inning and eventually scored on a single by classmate Aiyana Leal-Robles.
Robert Morris (2-12) answered back in the fourth with three runs on four hits to take a 3-1 lead.
The Buff and Blue cut the deficit in the bottom half of the inning after a leadoff triple by freshman Riley Tejcek - the first of her career - and a Leal-Robles walk led to a successful first-and-third play to plate Tejcek and put GW within one.
Neither team would score again until the bottom of the seventh, when sophomore Morgan Rinehart singled and stole second and third to start the frame. A double to left center by junior Monica Macchiarulo tied the score at 3-3 and sent the game into extra innings.
With the International Tie Breaker rule beginning in the eighth inning, neither squad was able to break the stalemate until the ninth. RMU pulled ahead on a ground out and a single to take a 4-3 lead. In the bottom half of the stanza, with senior Morgan Matetic beginning the inning on second base, Tejcek dropped a sacrifice bunt to put the tying run 60 feet away. Rinehart was then hit by a pitch with two outs before Linn smacked a booming double to center field to plate two and win the game for GW, 5-4.
Sophomore Sarah Costlow (3-1, 1.58 ERA) earned the win, tossing nine stellar innings while yielding just two walks and striking out five.
GW took on Columbia in the nightcap, but the contest was ultimately halted in the middle of the sixth due to darkness with the Colonials leading, 7-3.
Columbia struck first in game two, using two hits and a walk to plate two in the top of the first, but GW evened the score just moments later, on a two-run double by Draper to knot the score at 2-2 after one.
In the Colonials' second, Tejcek started the inning with a walk and Rinehart was hit by a pitch to set up a three-run home run to left for Linn. Macchiarulo then followed with a double and scored on a triple from senior Carlee Gray to put GW ahead, 6-4, before the side was retired.
Two hits for Columbia in the third led to one run, but the Colonials tacked on another in the fourth on an RBI double by Macchiarulo to give GW a 7-3 lead that would stick until the game was halted after the top of the sixth due to darkness.
Junior Paige Kovalsky had tossed six innings of three-run ball before the game was suspended for the day. The squads intend to finish the battle on Saturday afternoon.
Linn wrapped her day with a 5-for-8 performance with five RBIs and two stolen bases to lead the Colonials.
GW continues play in the District Invite on Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. bout against Maryland at the GW Softball Field, followed by the conclusion of GW's game against Columbia.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Costlow, Sarah (3-1)
L: ELLZY, Kaitlin (2-5)
Batting:
2B: GERHART, Ashley 1
RBI: HACKETT, Lauren 1 ; McCARTNEY, Abrielle 3
SH: GURGANUS, Jordan 1 ; STOCKS, Haileigh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GABELT, Kristen 1 ; GERHART, Ashley 1 ; HACKETT, Lauren 1 ; LORUSSO, Olivia 1
Batting:
2B: Linn, Megan 1 ; Macchiarulo, Monica 1
3B: Linn, Megan 1 ; Tejcek, Riley 1
RBI: Linn, Megan 2 ; Macchiarulo, Monica 1 ; Leal-Robles, Aiyana 1
SH: Macchiarulo, Monica 1 ; Tejcek, Riley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Draper, Rochelle 1 ; Matetic, Morgan 1 ; Tejcek, Riley 1 ; Rinehart, Morgan 2
SB: Linn, Megan 1 ; Kovalsky, Paige 1 ; Rinehart, Morgan 3
CS: Leal-Robles, Aiyana 1
HBP: Leal-Robles, Aiyana 1 ; Rinehart, Morgan 1
