Softball falls in doubleheader to surging JMU

The George Mason softball team dropped a doubleheader at home on Saturday to JMU, but will have another shot at the Dukes on Sunday.

Entering into a doubleheader on Saturday against the James Madison Dukes (17-20), the George Mason softball team (10-26) was looking to bounce back from a loss at Maryland from Wednesday.

Sophomore Stephanie Maher (4-6) took the mound for the Patriots in the first of the two games, while freshman Heather Kiefer (7-3) battled against her for the Dukes.

In the Dukes struck first in the top of the third inning with a two-run homerun by senior shortstop Ashley Burnham.

In the next half of the third, the Patriots looked to even the score up with a single by senior centerfielder Tori Dudley and a walk by senior leftfielder Alyssa See. However, Kiefer was on her game and got freshman second baseman Brook Blankenship to groundout.

Things were quiet the next few innings until the seventh when the Dukes struck again.

Maher got the first two Dukes’ batters out, but a double by junior catcher Megan Shinaberry kept the inning alive. The next batter up, senior second baseman Caitlen Manning, reached on an error by senior shortstop Rachael Davies.

Sophomore rightfielder Anna Klumpp then stepped up to the plate and hit a sharp grounder to first base. Shinaberry and Manning scored on Klumpp’s attempt to stretch the hit and reach second base, making the score 4-0.

The Patriots mustered a run in the seventh inning, but fell short, dropping the first game 4-1.

The second game of the double header started was a similar story.
The Dukes drew first blood in the top of the second inning.

A bunt single by sophomore third baseman Caitlin Sandy led off the inning, followed by Shinaberry advancing Sandy to second on a bunt of her own.
Manning then singled to center field, which scored Sandy from second.
Two batters later, junior centerfielder Jasmine Butler doubled to left field, which brought Manning home. The score stood 2-0.

The Patriots answered back in the next half of the inning, loading the bases on a single by Tori Rodriguez, a bunt single by Tiffany Webb, and a walk by Tori Dudley.

Alyssa See then drew a walk which forced a run in from third and drew the Patriots closer to the Dukes. The next batter up, Brooke Blankenship, grounded out to end the inning and the Patriots chance of tying the game.
The Dukes blew the game wide open in the fifth inning, scoring five runs on three hits, one of which was a two-run homerun by Caitlin Sandy.

The Patriots attempted a comeback in the bottom of the fifth inning with a double by Blankenship and junior rightfielder Megan Blank, but ultimately came up short in the end.

The win is the seventh in a row for the Dukes, who look to get their record back to .500 on Sunday.

Having lost three out of their last five, the Patriots look to avoid a sweep with the final game of the series tomorrow, Sunday, April 8 at noon.

The Patriots take on George Washington on Wednesday, April 11, and travel to New York next weekend to play a three-game series against Hofstra.