George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
Hampton
Softball Heads to Pirate-Spartan Classic
3/2/2023 9:10:00 AM | Softball
GW plays in final non-conference tournament ahead of next week’s home opener
WASHINGTON - GW softball is off to the shores of Virginia for a four-game slate at the Pirate-Spartan Classic. Hosted at both Hampton and Norfolk State, the Colonials will be tested against Hampton (10 a.m.) and Penn State (12:30 p.m.) on Friday, followed by meetings against Norfolk State (11:00 a.m.) and Delaware (1:30 p.m.) on Saturday.Â
CAVALIER CLASH RECAPÂ
The Buff and Blue ended the weekend with a 2-3 mark at the Cavalier Clash. The Colonials suffered losses to St. John's, Longwood and Virginia, but came away victorious against UMES and Howard. The weekend was highlighted by a miraculous seventh-inning rally against Howard - in which Arizona Ritchie tied the game with an inside-the-park home run and Ashley Corpuz walked it off with a two-run blast into left center field.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITIONÂ
Hampton:Â
Hampton is 7-4 to start the year. Most recently, the Pirates went 3-1 at the Battle of the Bay, which included wins over Morehead State, Buffalo and Saint Peter's and a loss to Central Connecticut State.Â
Carmynn Bonner leads the Pirates so far in both batting and pitching. Through nine games played, Bonner owns a .368 batting average and has six RBIs and six runs, while on the mound, she has a 1.99 ERA over 24.2 innings pitched.
Penn State:Â
Penn State enters the weekend with a 7-3 mark on the year. The Nittany Lions won all five games to start the year at the UNF-JU Tournament, but most recently, went 2-3 at the Queen City Classic.
Penn State is ouscoring its opponents 53-21 on the year, which includes an 11-4 advantage in home runs. Lexie Black, Liana Jones and Kaitlyn Morrison have each hit three home runs, while Kathryn Rex has added two of her own. Kylee Lingenfelter and Bailey Parshall lead Penn State's pitching contingent - each limiting opponents to batting near .150 and have sub-two ERAs.
Norfolk State:Â
The Spartans are 7-4 to begin 2023. Most recently, Norfolk State competed at the Battle of the Bay, where it went 1-2 with a win over Stony Brook and losses to Buffalo and Colgate.
Gabby Vaughan has paced the Spartan offense thus far, batting .345 with one home run and five RBIs. Alexis Robinson leads NSU in pitching with a 1.71 ERA over 41 innings pitched and holds a 4-1 record.
Delaware:Â
The Blue Hens are 5-8 to begin their 2023 campaign which includes a 3-0 loss to GW at the Carolina Classic. Delaware has since played at the UNCG Invitational where it lost to UNCG and twice to Indiana, while picking up a win over UConn.Â
Infielder Hanna Garber has started every game for the Blue Hens and is hitting .395 with five doubles and 4 RBIs. On the mound, Emily Winbrun has been Delaware's top option with a 2.60 ERA over 40.1 innings pitched.
LOOKING AHEAD
This is GW's last weekend of non-conference tournament action. The Buff and Blue will have its home opener on Wednesday, March 8 - a doubleheader against Coppin State. GW will enjoy six straight games at home and begin conference play at the end of the home stand with a three-game series against Rhode Island.
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