The Georgetown University softball team (10-27, 1-17 Big East) sputtered offensively and fell to the George Washington University (GWU) Revolutionaries (28-17, 12-8 Atlantic 10) on April 22 by a score of 2-0.
The Hoyas’ biggest problem this season has been their offense. Of Georgetown’s 10 wins, 8 of them were by 5 runs or more, yet the team has only scored more than 3 runs in 13 of their 37 games so far. While playing GWU, Georgetown failed to score a single run. When they score, they win, and in this case, they could not score.
Revolutionary pitcher Anna Reed threw a shutout gem, allowing only 4 hits over seven innings. The Hoyas’ pitching was not as stellar. Senior right-handed pitcher Kayla Dunn started the game and gave the Hoyas three scoreless innings, giving up only 2 hits and 2 walks. Graduate right-handed pitcher Sage Hager came in as relief in the fourth inning and was taken out in the fifth, allowing two runs, one of which was earned. Senior right-handed pitcher Avery Wissmar replaced her and finished out the game, giving up only 1 hit and 1 walk.
Bright spots for the Hoyas’ offense included a triple hit by graduate shortstop Sammy Fenton in the sixth inning; sophomore infielder Brooke Rebhan, who went 2-for-3 with a double in the seventh; and junior outfielder Gabby Park hitting a single, going 1-for-3. Despite these hits, the Hoyas were not able to build solid momentum at any point throughout the game, leaving a total of five runners stranded on base.
Both of GWU’s runs were scored in the fifth inning by outfielder Ashley Corpuz and infielder Madi Mays. Corpuz, driven in by Mays’ single hit, reached base on a walk, while Mays scored on an error made by Fenton.
The Hoyas’ defense has been their only consistent strength throughout the season, having made no more than 3 errors in a single game, and consistently improving their defense. The Hoyas have played 11 games with no errors, nearly half of those in the past three weeks. Despite making 2 errors in their game against GWU, one of which led to a run, the Hoyas made several key plays throughout the game. These included 2 caught popups behind the plate for sophomore catcher Hollie Pardini and a diving play made by junior outfielder Claire Turner in center field. The Hoyas also made a clean 6-4-3 double play to end the sixth inning.
The Hoyas had a very strong start to the season, winning 8 of their first 11 games, but their good fortune ground to a halt as they embarked on a 20-game losing streak beginning March 1. The streak ended with a win against George Mason University (18-30, 9-11 Atlantic 10) April 9, and the Hoyas picked up their first conference win against Providence College (20-25, 11-10 Big East) April 17.
Head Coach Karla Ross said the Hoyas’ momentum recently shifted, along with the attitudes and mindsets of both the players and coaches.
“I was very confident in us playing well, which we did play well, we just didn’t get the runs we needed,” Ross told The Hoya. “I think we’ve done a good job as coaches, but also the players shifting that mindset of last season doesn’t define us. This is a new season, and we just keep looking at how can we get better every pitch, every inning, and that’s the mindset we have moving forward.”
“I think you know kind of bringing my flair back into the program, like more speed and a little bit more power is definitely what we’re looking for,” Ross added. “We’ve had a lot of interest in our program and, you know, we’re excited to see what the future holds.”
The Hoyas will next play a three-game series in Storrs, Conn., against the University of Connecticut Huskies (28-18, 14-4 Big East), beginning Friday, April 25.