The Georgetown University softball team traveled to Chattanooga, Tenn. this past weekend to compete in the Frost Classic. Hot off six straight wins, the Hoyas looked to carry the momentum from last weekend’s Furman Invitational into the tournament.
The Hoyas (7-8) started the weekend off against the Ohio University Bobcats (10-5) on Friday, Feb. 23. After a scoreless opening two innings from both teams, graduate first baseman Camryn Wincher’s hit and a Bobcats fielding error allowed first-year infielder Emily Strittmatter to put the Hoyas on the board. Unfortunately, Ohio answered quickly, responding with 6 unanswered runs in the fourth inning.
Georgetown showed signs of life again in the sixth inning, as sophomore outfielder Gabby Park doubled to send sophomore infielder Dayanara Campos home. However, Ohio responded once again, batting in 4 more runs in the seventh inning to seal Georgetown’s 10-2 defeat.
Later that evening, the Hoyas squared off against the host of the tournament, the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Mocs (9-7), looking to shake off their earlier defeat and gain momentum to carry into the second day of the tournament.
After a tight first three innings that saw neither team score, a homer from graduate infielder Maicie Levitt broke the deadlock and saw Georgetown take the first lead of the game. Chattanooga scored their only run of the game in the next inning, and the Hoyas sealed their victory in the sixth. Campos’ homer saw her and Levitt notch runs to snag a 3-1 victory, which brought their record to 7-5 on the season.
However, the Hoyas’ newfound momentum did not carry into the rest of the weekend. The Hoyas began Saturday morning with a game against the University of Tennessee Martin (UT Martin) Skyhawks (8-7). The Skyhawks started strong, tallying 5 unanswered runs in the first inning after a rough inning from junior pitcher Avery Wissmar, who allowed 5 home runs. Strittmaster led the Hoyas’ response, doubling in the top of the second to send Park and senior third baseman Samantha Miller home after their walk and single, respectively.
Georgetown then pulled within 1 run in the top of the fourth inning thanks to junior outfielder Gianna Sciullo’s hit to send Park home and first-year infielder Brooke Rebhan’s RBI, which saw first-year outfielder Juliana Pall notch the Hoyas’ final run of the evening.
However, UT Martin would score an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth, which would be enough to seal their 6-4 victory for the day. Having dropped two of three games in the Classic so far, the Hoyas looked to turn the tide in their final two games of the tournament.
Later that afternoon, the Hoyas faced off against the Valparaiso University Beacons (3-11). A tight, defense-heavy game saw Valparaiso reach home plate first after a throwing error in the third inning. Georgetown responded in the fifth inning — Campos’ double put Pall on base as a pinch runner, who then scored after Park’s single and a throwing error by the catcher.
Valparaiso would then score a late run in the eighth inning after a fielding error, which ensured the Hoyas’ 2-1 defeat, bringing their tournament record to 1-3 and their season record to 7-6.
Georgetown closed out the weekend on Sunday, Feb. 25 against the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders (10-3). Campos got the Hoyas started with her second homer of the weekend, which also sent sophomore outfielder Claire Turner home to put Georgetown up 2-0 in the top of the third.
The Islanders responded immediately, netting 3 unearned runs in the second half of the same inning. They scored runs in the fifth and sixth innings as well, widening their lead to 5-2.
The Hoyas appeared to be on the verge of a comeback. In the top of the seventh, Campos tripled to send Park and Strittmatter home. It wouldn’t quite be enough, however, as the Hoyas would eventually suffer their fourth defeat of the tournament.
Despite the statistically disappointing weekend, there were certainly still some standout moments for the Hoyas. Campos had 2 home runs and 6 RBIs on the weekend, bringing her totals for the season to a team-leading 4 home runs and 12 RBIs.
Senior pitcher Julia Parker’s pitching was certainly the key to the victory against Chattanooga, as she pitched 7 innings and recorded 3 strikeouts with only 1 run allowed. Against Valparaiso on Saturday, she pitched 8 innings, picking up another 3 strikeouts and allowing only 3 hits and 0 earned runs.
Georgetown will travel to Nashville, Tenn. this weekend to compete in the Purple and Gold Challenge, their final tournament of the season before moving into conference play on March 8. The Hoyas will be looking to learn from their mistakes this past weekend, put the losses behind them and try to pick up momentum to carry into Big East play.
