George Mason Takes Rubber Game of Weekend Series With 8-0 Victory Over Delaware
April 1, 2012
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• Boxscore
Photo Courtesy of Chris Mlynarczyk
NEWARK, Del. -- George Mason second baseman Brooke Blankenship finished 3 for 3 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored to lead the Patriots to an 8-0 six-inning victory over the University of Delaware softball team Sunday afternoon.
The Patriots, who took the rubber game of the weekend series after the teams split a doubleheader on Saturday, improved to 10-24 overall and 4-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Blue Hens dropped to 6-29-1 overall and 2-4 in league play.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the third when the Patriots’ Tiffany Webb led off with a bunt single, moved to third on a double to leftfield by Tori Dudley, and scored on a long sacrifice fly to left by Blankenship.
The following inning Katie Rynex worked a one-out walk and came around to score one out later when Megan Blank drilled a triple into the gap in rightcenter. Webb then laid down a bunt, while Blank crossed the plate when Blue Hen starter Chenxi Jiao threw home to unsuspecting catcher Mary O’Reilly and the ball rolled to the backstop.
The Patriots then tacked on a run during the fifth as Blankenship singled and eventually scored when Rynex reached on an error by Blue Hen third baseman Jessica Grisler.
After George Mason loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning, Blankenship doubled to leftcenter to drive home a pair and make it a 6-0 game. Following a sacrifice fly by Emily Lafferty that scored another run, Rachael Davies singled up the middle to chase home Blankenship and conclude the scoring.
The Blue Hens looked to get on the scoreboard during the bottom of the sixth as Alicea Coy reached on an error and Michelle McKinnon legged out an infield single, but Patriots pitcher Stephanie Maher worked out of the jam without allowing a run, and the game ended due to the mercy rule.
Maher earned her second shutout of the season and improved to 4-6 after scattering six hits while not walking a batter over six innings of work. Jiao dropped to 1-15 for the Blue Hens as she surrendered three earned runs on five hits in four innings, while Brianna Jennings yielded five runs, just one earned, on six hits with four strikeouts in the final two frames.
Grisler (at right) led the Delaware offense with a pair of singles, while Coy, McKinnon, Gina Knutson and O’Reilly added a hit apiece.
The Blue Hens remain home on Wednesday when they host Saint Peter’s in a 3 p.m. doubleheader at the Delaware Softball Stadium.
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