George Washington University Athletics
GW Softball Hosts Massachusetts for Weekend Series
4/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
WASHINGTON - The George Washington softball squad returns home after six consecutive road games to host Massachusetts for a three-game Atlantic 10 series beginning on Saturday at the GW Softball Field on the Mount Vernon Campus. Sunday's weekend finale has been dedicated to pediatric cancer awareness though the Go 4 the Goal organization.
The Colonials (21-20, 8-6 A-10) look to continue their hot hitting after amassing a season-high 17 hits on Wednesday evening in a 13-11 win over Georgetown. Freshman Riley Tejcek smashed her first career home run and finished just a double shy of the cycle in her career-best 4-for-4 performance, tying the program record for hits in a game.
"My team will come ready to compete, without question," said sixth-year head coach Stacey Schramm. "When one player struggles or goes down, there is always a teammate who picks her and the team up. It's a huge relief to know that we have a team full of student-athletes who genuinely play for each other."
Junior Megan Linn leads GW and ranks third in the A-10 with a .389 average while slugging .611 on the year - good for second in the league. Her 35 runs scored are tied for third-best in the conference, while classmate Paige Kovalsky (.307) leads the A-10 with 17 doubles on the year.
The Colonials have played well-executed small ball this season, as sophomores Morgan Rinehart and Rochelle Draper own the top two spots in the conference for sacrifice bunts with 11 and 10, respectively. Classmate Aiyana Leal-Robles ranks third in the league with four sacrifice flies.
As a squad, GW owns the second-best offense in the A-10, ranking second in most offensive categories, including batting average (.283), slugging percentage (.422), on-base percentage (.365), runs scored (187) and hits (302). The Colonials have displayed speed on the base paths all season, leading the league in doubles (73), triples (21) and stolen bases (71).
In the circle, sophomore Sarah Costlow (12-8, 2.40 ERA) is tied for the conference lead in wins.
Massachusetts (15-21, 8-5 A-10) has won five of its last six contests, most recently defeating Connecticut on Wednesday with the help of three home runs, including two by Jena Cozza. The Minutewomen will host Boston College on Thursday before traveling to the District.
Cozza ranks second on the squad with a .368 average on the year, smacking a team-best six home runs. Erin Stacevicz leads the Minutewomen with a .379 average, while Taylor Carbone (.326) has driven in a team-high 26 runs.
Massachusetts has the third-best ERA in the league with a 3.34 mark and is led in the circle by Meg Colleran (13-14, 2.17 ERA) and her 21 complete games. Colleran has held opposing batters to a .241 average this season while tossing a league-high 174.1 innings.
Last season, the Minutewomen took two-of-three games from the Colonials.
UMass enters the weekend in third place in the conference standings, while GW is close behind in fourth.
"Every series has been so crucial, which has been a benefit because we have learned how to handle pressure pretty well," said Schramm. "The key is to continue to play for each other and not let any moment get too big. We are focused on us - not our opponent. If we play our game, we will take care of whoever stands in our way, including Massachusetts."
Go 4 the Goal is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 that aims to improve the lives of children battling cancer by providing financial support, developing and implementing hospital programs, raising funds for research and granting personal wishes. Fans will be able to donate to Go 4 the Goal at Sunday's game. The Colonials will wear gold laces in support of pediatric cancer awareness.
GW's 2016 A-10 Champion women's basketball team will be honored for its back-to-back conference titles prior to Saturday's game. Graduate student Lauren Chase will throw out a ceremonial first pitch.
First pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is slated for 12 p.m., while Sunday's series finale will also begin at noon.
