Softball Wins Game Two To Split Doubleheader At George Mason

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Massachusetts	1	0	0	0	3	0	1	5	12	0
George Mason	0	0	2	3	0	1	X	6	15	0

Massachusetts

George Mason

FAIRFAX, Va. – Kiara Oliver retired the final nine batters she faced as the University of Massachusetts softball team picked up a 4-1 game two win over George Mason in a Saturday doubleheader at the George Mason Softball Complex. The Minutewomen (25-20 Overall, 12-5 Atlantic 10) were led offensively by Erin Stacevicz's five hits in the doubleheader while Kaitlyn Stavinoha and Kaycee Carbone each homered.

Game One – George Mason 6, UMass 5 - Box Score
The Minutewomen posted 12 hits in game one led by three each from Stavinoha and Stacevicz as George Mason added 15 hits of their own in the 6-5 contest.

Stavinoha's team-leading sixth home run of the season put UMass on the board early as the senior sent a solo blast to right center field in the top of the first inning.

George Mason capatilized on a leadoff double in the third inning to set up an Adriana Erickson RBI double to right center that tied the game up prior to a Jess Curbeira RBI single to left that put the Patriots ahead 2-1.

UMass' offense put the leadoff runners on in both the fourth and fifth innings as Kristina Day doubled to leadoff the fourth before Stacevicz's second of three hits led off the fifth. Stacevicz's three hits helped her break a tie for third on the UMass career hit list with Holly Aprile (1999-02) with 238 in her career.

Stavinoha followed with her third hit of the opening contest in the fifth inning to put her at 203 in her career, passing Sheri Kuchinskas (1990-93) and Mandy Galas (1996-99) for 12th all-time.

The Patriots took a 5-1 lead with three runs in the fourth inning, capped off by an Erickson two-RBI single.

Carbone went 2-for-3 in the game with three RBI, using a three-run shot in the fifth inning with no outs to bring UMass within a run at 5-4 while the homer to right field moved her into 14th on the UMass career home run list.

Melissa Garcia brought in a run in the top of the seventh after the Patriots extended their lead to two runs at 6-4 in the sixth. Garcia's RBI single to left was set up by base hits from Stacevicz and Danielle Ellis to eventually put the game-tying run at second before a groundout ended the game.

Game Two – UMass 4, George Mason 1 - Box Score
Game two of the doubleheader was a pitchers' duel for the opening three innings between UMass' Kiara Oliver and George Mason's Bekah Ansbro with Oliver making her first start in the circle since April 13 vs. George Washington. Oliver and Ansbro each retired the first eight batters that they faced before both allowing a bunt single with two outs in the third inning.

Oliver finished her game two outing with a complete game effort, holding the Patriots to just three hits while surrendering the lone run of the afternoon in the fourth before a groundout to the circle ended the inning with the bases loaded. Oliver went on to pick up her ninth win of the year, wrapping up the game by retiring the final nine batters that came to the plate for George Mason.

After Riley Gregoire picked up the first UMass hit of the doubleheader cap for UMass in the third inning, the Minutewomen plated three runs on a pair of hits in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead.

Stacevicz led off the fourth with a single on a slow roller to second base for one of her two hits followed by a Stavinoha walk to put a pair on. Melissa Garcia drove in Stacevicz from third on a fielder's choice as Stacevicz scored on obstruction at the plate for the opening run. Stavinoha followed a few pitches later by scoring on a passed ball during a Danielle Ellis at-bat before Ellis brought in a pinch-running Caroline Videtto for the third run.

UMass answered George Mason's single run in the fourth inning by manufacturing a run in the fifth to go back up by three at 4-1 as three consecutive singles from Gregoire, Hannah Bunker and Stacevicz loaded ht ebases with no outs to set up a Carbone sacrifice fly to right field.

The teams will wrap up their regular season schedule with game three of the series tomorrow at noon.

For complete coverage of the UMass softball team, follow the Minutewomen on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @UMassSoftball and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.

Scoreboard