Softball Sweeps UMES in Wednesday Doubleheader

Wednesday, March 13

Washington, DC

12:00 PM

George Washington University

UMES

George Washington

Paige Hayward batting at the GW Softball Field

3/13/2024 7:08:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Cece Smith flirts with no-hitter in game one, Ashley Corpuz crushes walk-off home run in game two

WASHINGTON - The George Washington softball team took care of Maryland Eastern Shore in both games of Wednesday's doubleheader, 2-0 and 6-5. The Revolutionaries improve to 11-11 overall ahead of conference play beginning Saturday.

GAME 1 (GW 2, UMES 0)
Cece Smith was brilliant in the circle in game one as the Revolutionaries beat the Hawks, 2-0. The A-10 Pitcher of the Week was in her zone as she punched out 10, walked zero and brought a no-hit bid into the seventh inning, which was spoiled by Jaycee Holt who picked up the team's only hit of the contest.

Smith faced the minimum 21 batters. Holt was the only player to reach base for UMES, once on a hit and once on an error, but she was thrown out stealing both times by Allison Heffley. Smith forced five flyouts and four groundouts to go along with her 10 strikeouts and Heffley's two runners caught stealing. Smith locked up her second consecutive complete game shutout as she picked up her eighth win of the year.

Offensively, GW was limited to just three hits but they came in timely moments. Rose Cano drove in the eventual game-winning run on a single to left with two outs in the second inning. Heffley later added to the lead in the fifth inning on a two-out RBI triple to right-center, her first triple of the year.

GAME 2 (GW 6, UMES 5)
The bats came alive for both teams as GW and UMES combined for 18 hits in game two, but it was Ashley Corpuz who declared her bat extra special as she launched the first pitch of a tie game in the bottom of the seventh inning well-over the left field wall to walk-off UMES, 6-5.

It was the third walk-off home run of Corpuz's career - two of which have come at the GW Softball Field and the third in Charlottesville, Va., vs. Howard. Corpuz joins Paige Hayward and Reese Torres for first on the team with two home runs.

Both offenses got started in the first inning, scoring one run via error. In the third inning, GW took its first lead on an Alena Ramirez single to left, and GW added to the advantage on a Heffley RBI groundout in the fourth.

UMES came back to tie the game in the fifth on a two run double, but GW responded in the bottom of the frame with two of its own, as first-years Paige Hayward and Mandy Lauth each drove in runs to give GW back its two-run lead. The Hawks stayed their course despite GW regaining the lead and then tied the game again in the sixth on a Holt two-RBI double, which set the table for Corpuz's heroics.

It was a complete offensive outing for GW as Corpuz, Hayward, Heffley, Lauth and Ramriez each had RBIs, and Corpuz, Maggie Greco and Lauth each had multi-hit games. Sophia Torreso made the start for GDUB and struck out seven in 4.1 innings, but Smith replaced Torreso in the sixth and punched out four as she was credited with her team-best ninth win.

UP NEXT
A-10 Conference play begins this weekend as GW welcomes Loyola Chicago to the GW Softball Field for the first time ever. The Buff & Blue will play a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday, and first pitch on both days is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.