By EMILY BERMAN
The softball team suffered a tough second weekend of the season, dropping several one-run decisions to emerge from the George Mason Invitational with a 1-4 record. The Red, now 3-6, lost all three matches against the host and the first game to Monmouth University, but rallied from a four-run deficit in the second game against Monmouth to grab its only victory of the weekend.
It was the Red’s second straight weekend down at George Mason after playing the Patriots and Army the week before. The Red won both games against George Mason in the last showing, but could not replicate that success against the Patriots in this weekend’s outings. The Red lost Friday afternoon’s game to the Patriots, 8-7, after George Mason scored a game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“Every time we get to play games, we are learning more as a team,” said senior Christina Villalon. “Unfortunately, we came up on the short end of the stick a couple of times this past weekend, losing by a single run.”
The Red were swept in both of Saturday’s games, and fell first to Monmouth in a 4-3 decision. The Red rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the bottom of the second inning off of a three-run homer by freshman Chloe Pendergast to tie the game. However, Monmouth pulled ahead with two runs in the fifth inning. Senior Jenny Edwards homered in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to one, but the Red was unable to tie up the game. In the afternoon game, the Red dropped an initial 2-0 lead against the Patriots to fall, 8-2.
The team fared better on Sunday morning, capturing a win against Monmouth despite allowing seven runs in the bottom of the third inning. Down 3-7 after the third, the Red scored once in the fourth inning and four times in the fifth to take the final 8-7 advantage.
“I believe that [one of the] positives that can be taken away from the last couple of weekends at Mason is that we know that we have a very capable and resilient team,” Villalon said. “Even when we are down a handful of runs, we have the faith that we can rally and get ourselves back in the ballgame. We have a good number of girls swinging some pretty hot bats for us right now.”
The Red dropped its final contest, a 5-1 loss, to George Mason in Sunday afternoon’s game. Edwards’ RBI double in the top of the fourth sent sophomore Meg Parker past home and counted as the Red’s only tally of the game.
The team ventures to Delaware next weekend to take on a new crop of teams including the host Delaware, Villanova, Robert Morris and St. John’s.
“While the losses hurt, we are looking towards this weekend’s games at Delaware where we will continue to improve our level of play as a team, in all aspects of the game,” Villalon said.