FAIRFAX, Va. – The Holy Cross softball team split a pair of nonconference contests Sunday against George Mason dropping a 6-1 decision to the Patriots in game one before winning game two by a 4-2 score.

The split ends a four game losing streak for the Crusaders (3-4) while the Patriots (7-3) five game winning streak came to an end.

Over the two contests, freshman shortstop Anna Brait was 2-for-6 (.333) with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Senior Olivia Eckelman was 2-for-4, with two sacrifices, a walk and a stolen base. Freshman hurler Sophia Roncone picked up her first career save in game two.

GAME ONE: PATRIOTS 6, CRUSADERS 1 (FINAL):

STARTING IN THE CIRCLE:

• Jordan Tallman: W (3-1), complete game, seven strikeouts, three hits allowed, three walks, earned run.
• Sophia Roncone: L (1-2), 4.1 innings pitched, three earned runs, six hits allowed, four strikeouts.

IN RELIEF:

• Senior Peyton Morehouse: 1.2 innings pitched, two hits allowed, two walks, earned run.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Nicole Betchel: 2-for-4, two RBI.
• Elyssa DeRosa: 2-for-3, double, triple, run scored.
• Haley Taormina: 1-for-3, RBI, two runs scored, walk.
• Anna Brait: 1-for-3, RBI.
• Olivia Eckelman: 1-for-2, walk.
• Freshman Ali Sniegocki: 1-for-2, double, walk.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• George Mason took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks to a Crusader fielding miscue.
• In the top of the third, Holy Cross tied the game 1-1 when Brait knocked home Eckelman with an infield single to first base.
• The Patriots took the lead back in the bottom half of the frame as Bechtel singled to left plating a run.
• The hosts added insurance in the bottom of the fourth due to a Sydney Blackwell single and she came around to score on a wild pitch.
• In the fifth and sixth GMU tacked on a run each to lead 6-1.

 
GAME TWO: CRUSADERS 4, PATRIOTS 2 (FINAL):

STARTING IN THE CIRCLE:

• Junior Megan Yurchick: W (2-2), 5.0 innings pitched, six hits allowed, two earned runs, two strikeouts, walk.
• Carly Cooper: L (1-1), 4.1 innings pitched, four hits allowed, three walks, two earned runs, two strikeouts.

IN RELIEF:

• Sophia Roncone: S (1), 2.0 innings pitched, two strikeouts, hit allowed, walk.
• Jordan Anderson: 1.2 innings pitched, three hits allowed, two strikeouts, two earned runs.
• Aly Rayle: 1.0 innings pitched, two strikeouts, hit allowed.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Junior Jessica Mott: 2-for-3, double, RBI, two runs scored, walk.
• Megan Yurchick: 2-for-4, RBI.
• Anna Brait: 1-for-3, double, RBI, run scored, walk.
• Ali Sniegocki: 1-for-4, RBI.
• Haley Taormina: 2-for-3, double, run scored.
• Nicole Betchel: 1-for-3, RBI, triple.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• In the top of the first, Eckelman legged out an infield single to short and stole second base. Brait walked to put two runners on. Cooper retired the next two batters to keep the game scoreless.
• Yurchick got a massive strikeout in the bottom of the second with runners at second and third to keep the contest tied 0-0.
• The Crusader hurler then helped out her own cause in the top of the third with two down flaring an RBI single to center for the 1-0 lead.
• In the bottom of the fourth, Yurchick gave up a leadoff single to Taormina and she was gunned down attempting to steal second base by backstop Morgan Jensen.
• Holy Cross added two important insurance tallies in the top of the fifth. Mott led off the frame with a walk and was sacrificed to second base. Brait bashed an opposite field double into the left center field gap to drive Mott in. With two outs, Sniegocki singled to left to score Brait and push the Crusaders ahead 3-0.
• Mott walloped a two out RBI double in the top of the six to expand the edge to 4-0.
• George Mason cracked the scoring column in the bottom of the sixth. A single and a double chased Yurchick from the game. Roncone came on in relief and induced back-to-back RBI groundouts to make it 4-2. A triple coupled with a walk and steal put the tying run in scoring position. Roncone struck out the final batter swinging elevating a pitch in the zone.

DUE UP:

• Holy Cross embarks on its spring break trip next week playing four contests during THE Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Fla.
• Holy Cross will play a doubleheader against Southern Indiana (3-5) on Saturday, March 4 at 3 p.m. before dueling Hofstra (1-9) at 5 p.m.

 
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