George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
11-12, 0
Loyola Chicago
11-10, 0
Softball Splits With Loyola Chicago in A-10 Opening Doubleheader
3/16/2024 8:11:00 PM | Softball
Rose Cano hits walk-off double in game two
WASHINGTON - The George Washington softball team opened up conference play on Saturday with a split against Loyola Chicago. Loyola Chicago won 10-0 in six innings in game one, before a back-and-forth game two ended in walk-off fashion as Rose Cano drove in the game-winner in a 6-5 contest.Â
GAME 1 (GW 0, Loyola Chicago 10)
The A-10 opener went the Ramblers way, as Loyola Chicago held the Buff & Blue scoreless while dropping 10 runs of its own to beat the Revolutionaries in six innings.
The Ramblers opened the scoring with one run in the first, and with the help of GW defensive miscues, tacked on three more in the second. Loyola Chicago continued to pour on runs with two in the third to make it 6-0, and reached the run-rule threshold in the sixth inning with four more runs.
Ava Bieneman and Haley Wallace each had big performances for Loyola Chicago. Bieneman was 3-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Wallace was also 3-4 with two RBI and three runs scored.
Alena Ramirez had both hits in game one for GW and reached a third time via walk. Alexa Williams and Mandy Lauth also drew walks.
GAME 2 (GW 6, Loyola Chicago 5)
Cano came up clutch with a walk-off winner in game two as the Buff & Blue responded with a 6-5 victory, earning the program's first win against Loyola Chicago.
The Revolutionaries came back to win from being down one run in the seventh inning, but they were in control for much of the game.Â
Each team cracked the scoring with a run in the first. Loyola Chicago then took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third, but GW went ahead in the bottom of the third as three runs crossed to go ahead 4-2. Heffley got things going with an RBI single through the right side, before Williams threaded a ball down the left-field line to score one and Sidney Torres stole home on a fake double steal that drew a throw from the Loyola Chicago catcher.
GW continued to lead in the fourth, fifth and sixth, though the Ramblers cut the deficit to 4-3 on a sacrifice fly in the fourth. In the seventh inning, just three outs from defeat, Loyola Chicago found new life and scored on back-to-back singles to take a 5-4 lead.Â
Needing one to tie and two to win, Corpuz started the rally with a one-out single, allowing Lauth to set up the game-winner with a two-out double that tied the game. Cano was due up next and lifted the ball just over the right fielder's glove to avoid extra innings and clinch the win.
Allison Heffley, Cadence Gilliland and Williams each finished the game with two hits. Sophia Torreso went 4.0 innings in the start and gave up three runs on six hits, but the win went to Cece Smith who pitched the final 3.0 frames, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out five.
UP NEXT
The series will be decided tomorrow as the Revolutionaries and Ramblers return for game three at the GW Softball Field with a 12:00 p.m. first pitch.Â
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: P. Pepkowski (6-5)
L: Smith, Cece (9-3)
Batting:
2B: A. Bieneman 1 ; S. Barnett 1 ; N. Lesnicki 1
3B: A. Bieneman 1
RBI: A. Bieneman 3 ; J. Currie 1 ; H. Wallace 2 ; S. Barnett 1 ; H. Nalley 2 ; A. Gregus 1
Base Running:
RUNS: A. Bieneman 2 ; J. Currie 1 ; H. Wallace 3 ; S. Barnett 1 ; T. Sopczak 1 ; S. Sass 2
SB: H. Wallace 1 ; S. Barnett 1 ; S. Sass 1
Batting:
2B: Ramirez, Alena 1
