George Washington University
15-25, 6-14
Massachusetts
15-29, 5-16
Softball Splits Doubleheader against UMass
4/28/2023 6:50:00 PM | Softball
Buff and Blue look to win series tomorrow at noon
AMHERST, Mass. - GW Softball went 1-1 in Saturday's doubleheader against UMass and will now look to Saturday's Game Three (11:30 a.m.) to decide the series. The Minutewomen took Game One, 2-0, in an extra-innings pitchers' duel, before GW erupted late in Game Two and collected an 8-5 win.Â
GW 0, UMass 2 (9 Innings)
Game One was a battle in the circle between Rose Cano and UMass starting pitcher Jessie DiPasquale, but after eight shutout innings from both sides, UMass broke the tie and took Game One with a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Cano was pitching at the top of her game and allowed just five hits through regulation. She pitched a season-high 8.2 innings and recorded four strikeouts along the way, but took the loss as GW's offense couldn't get any runs on DiPasquale.
GW recorded six hits in the contest and reached base twice via the walk. The Buff and Blue threatened to score on multiple occasions but were shut down by DiPasquale and the Minutewomen defense.
Daniella Lew went 2-3 in the contest, while Cano and Maggie Greco were each 1-4 with a double.Â
GW 8, UMass 5
The Buff and Blue offense was firing on all cylinders in Game Two, and despite being held scoreless until the sixth inning, GW completed the late comeback and won, 8-5, to even the series at one game apiece.
GW threatened early and often in Game Two but couldn't scratch a run across until the sixth inning. The Colonials loaded the bases in the first inning and got multiple runners aboard in the second and third innings, but it took until a Greco single with two runners aboard in the sixth for GW to break into the scoring column.Â
Greco powered the offense in Game Two with four RBI and two runs scored on 3-for-5 batting. Greco drove in GW's first run with an RBI single in the sixth and later shut the door on the Minutewomen with a three-run shot in the seventh. Greco's four RBIs are the most for a Colonial in conference play this season, and the home run is Greco's second of the year.
GW trailed 4-0 heading into the sixth inning, and with just six outs left to work with, the Colonials pushed eight runs across. The Buff and Blue scored three runs in the sixth inning before taking the lead and closing the door on the Minutewomen with five runs in the seventh.Â
In the seventh, Ashley Corpuz drove in the game-tying run with an RBI single before being driven in by Abby Schaub, who gave GW its first lead of the game with her RBI single down the right-field line. Then with two runners aboard and still just one out, Greco knocked in the eventual game-winning runs with her three-run home run.
UMass scratched one across in the bottom of the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate, but Emma Fales closed it out with a lineout to short. Â
Fales picked up the win for GW in her third complete game of the year, allowing five runs (three earned) off ten hits and one strikeout.
UP NEXTÂ
GW returns to the Sortino Field for the series finale against the Minutewomen at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.Â
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DiPasquale, Jessie (4-7)
L: Cano, Rose (13-15)
Batting:
2B: Greco, Maggie 1 ; Cano, Rose 1
Batting:
3B: Whelan, Emily 1
HR: Packard, Olivia 1
RBI: Packard, Olivia 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Packard, Abby 1 ; Packard, Olivia 1
HBP: Whittier, Chloe 1
