After dropping two straight games to open the Madeira Beach Tournament on Feb. 21, the Georgetown softball team grabbed two close victories to notch its second and third wins of the season. 

The Hoyas (3-12) closed out the weekend with 2-3 record, defeating Cornell University (1-3) and Manhattan College (3-3) while dropping to University of South Dakota (8-8), Columbia University (3-2) and Stony Brook University (5-0). 

On Friday, Feb. 21, the Hoyas took an early 1-0 lead against South Dakota as junior shortstop Savannah Jones drove in sophomore catcher Mae Forshey with a line drive to left field in the top of the first inning. The Blue and Gray lead, however, would not last long, as the Coyotes scored four runs off a grand slam in the bottom of the first. 

Senior right fielder Ciara Sullivan scored another run for the Hoyas with a home run out to left field in the top of the second, bringing the score to 4-2. 

Despite Georgetown’s efforts at the plate, the Hoyas continued to struggle from the mound, as the Coyotes scored five more runs in the bottom of the second. Junior starting pitcher London Diller gave up four runs, three of which were unearned due to a dropped fly ball by senior left fielder Delaney Darden, after opening the inning with two straight outs before loading the bases on two walks and a hit by pitch. Senior pitcher Katie Vannicola relieved Diller, conceding a final run to bring the score to 9-2. 

The third inning saw a home run from Forshey to left field, driving in Darden to garner two more runs for the Hoyas. The bottom of the inning and the top of the fourth saw no runs from either side as the score stood at 9-4. 

USD took charge in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three more runs and grabbing a 12-4 lead. The Hoyas’ bats fell silent, and the game ended after five innings in a mercy rule victory for the Coyotes. 

In the second game of the day’s doubleheader, Columbia handed Georgetown another loss. Sophomore pitcher Cassie Henning started and finished the game in the circle for the Hoyas, ultimately giving up two runs off of five hits while recording one walk and one strikeout. 

The first two innings saw a pitcher’s duel that kept both teams scoreless before two consecutive fielding errors by Georgetown led to two unearned Columbia runs in the top of the third. 

In response, the Hoyas loaded up the bases in the bottom of the inning on two walks and a hit by pitch. With one out, senior first baseman Noelle Holiday took to the plate and was hit by a pitch to bring home a Georgetown run. 

Trailing by one with the bases full, Georgetown lost its opportunity to take the lead, as Jones grounded into a double play to leave two runners stranded.

Both offenses saw little success at the plate in the remainder of play, as Georgetown suffered a 2-1 loss going into the second day of competition.

The second day of the tournament brought more success for a Georgetown team that struggled on the offensive and defensive end the day prior. Diller recovered in the Hoyas’ game against Cornell, pitching the whole game and recording seven strikeouts. 

A sacrifice fly ball from senior center fielder Alex Dolby sparked the scoring for the Hoyas in the bottom of the fifth, driving in junior outfielder Macy Cartwright. Sophomore third baseman Kiki Besnard hit a line drive to third base, bringing Sullivan home to claim a 2-0 lead. 

Freshman catcher Nora Campo recorded her first two career doubles against Cornell, with her second bringing home Jones in the bottom of the sixth to bring Georgetown its biggest lead of the weekend at 3-0. 

In the final inning, Cornell fought back with two runs. With a full count and bases loaded for the Big Red, junior outfielder Deirdre Gallo made a game-winning catch in left field to secure the Georgetown victory at 3-2. 

In the Hoyas’ next game, Manhattan College took an early 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first. The Hoyas snagged the lead with a two-run homer to center field from Holiday in the top of the third. The sixth inning saw two more runs for the Hoyas, extending their lead to 4-1. 

The Jaspers responded with two more runs off of a home run in the bottom of the sixth, cutting the game to a one-run difference. Holiday’s dominance at the plate would prove a key factor for Georgetown, as the designated hitter slugged another home run in the seventh to bring in two runs and claim a 6-3 lead. 

Despite one more run from the Jaspers, Vannicola, who took over for Henning in the sixth inning, secured the win for the Hoyas by striking out the last batter. 

The Hoyas ended the tournament on a 2-1 loss to Stony Brook on Sunday, Feb. 23. The Hoyas opened up scoring in the top of the fourth with a double from Jones that brought Forshey home for Georgetown’s one run of the game. Stony Brook went on to score two runs in the bottom of the sixth and claim the narrow victory. 

The Hoyas return to the diamond in the Colonial Classic in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Feb. 28. Their first game will be against Princeton University with the first pitch scheduled for 10 a.m.