George Washington University Athletics
Softball Dominates in Home Opener with Pair of Wins
3/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
WASHINGTON - The George Washington softball team posted a pair of dominant victories on Saturday to open its home schedule, taking run-rule victories over Monmouth and Quinnipiac in the first day of the Colonial Classic at the GW Softball Field on the Mount Vernon Campus.
Junior Sarah Costlow tossed a complete-game shutout of Monmouth in the home opener, 8-0, before GW (5-6) put on a hitting display, led by a pair of home runs by freshman Jenna Cone, to rout Quinnipiac, 11-2.
In game one, GW did damage early with four runs in the first inning. Senior Megan Linn led of the frame with a single before junior Alana Anderson worked a walk. A double by Cone scored one and put two runners in scoring position. Freshman Elena Shelepak's grounder plated one and an error kept the rookie on base. Junior Rochelle Draper then knocked in two with a single to center to give the Colonials a 4-0 lead.
Four more runs in the fifth put the game away for the Buff and Blue. An error, a walk and a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position with one out. A fielder's choice from Linn plated one and a grounder by freshman Faith Weber sent another home. Back-to-back RBI singles by senior Paige Kovalsky and Cone put GW ahead 8-0 and ended the game by virtue of the run rule.
Costlow tossed a gem in the circle, allowing just one hit while striking out four across five innings of work for her team-best third win of the season.
The visitors were the first to score in game two as Quinnipiac plated one in the first. The Colonials promptly responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Linn was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Anderson then walked and stole second, inducing a throw and allowing to Linn score as the second baseman mishandled the throw. Kovalsky then doubled to center to score Anderson and freshman Priscilla Martinez followed suit with a double of her own to send Kovalsky home and give the Colonials a 3-1 advantage.
GW added to its lead in the third when Anderson led off with a single then scored on a booming Cone home run which flew well beyond the left-field fence.
Quinnipiac mustered a run on two doubles in the fourth, but would not score again.
The Colonials' scoring continued in the fourth as senior Monica Macchiarulo notched an RBI single with two on. Kovalsky kept up her timely hitting with a two-RBI single up the middle to put GW ahead 8-3.
The final blow came in the bottom of the sixth. Anderson singled and Kovalsky walked to set the stage for Cone, who sent a laser over the center field fence, matching a program record with her second round-tripper of the game to again end the contest. GW took the 11-2 triumph by virtue of the run rule.
Freshman southpaw Kaitlin Buff (2-2) earned the win with 5.0 innings of relief.
The Colonials pounded out 10 hits in each game on Saturday. Cone tallied four hits and an impressive seven RBI on the day and leads the squad with five home runs on the year - already the third-most by any freshman in program history.
GW concludes the Colonial Classic on Sunday with doubleheader play against Quinnipiac and Monmouth scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.
