In the sixth inning of Georgetown University’s softball game against the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) this past Sunday, senior infielder Lorena Vasquez-Inzunza cracked a single up the middle that scored a runner and cut the Hoya deficit to just 2 runs. However, this proved to be the Hoyas’ final hit of the match, as UNCW retired the next four batters consecutively to hold on to the win and cap off a disappointing weekend for Georgetown.
At the UNCW tournament in Wilmington, N.C., the Georgetown softball team (2-10) dropped all five of the games they played. They lost twice to both the Appalachian State Mountaineers (9-3) and the Eastern Kentucky University Colonels (11-5), and also fell to the aforementioned UNCW Seahawks (4-10).
On Friday, the Hoyas opened the tournament against the Mountaineers, and they came out of the dugout strong. Graduate shortstop Morgan Zamora started things off with a one-out single that was followed by a double by fellow graduate outfielder Cameron Kondo. Alas, the Hoyas were unable to capitalize on the two runners in scoring position, and this proved to be a theme throughout the weekend.
Despite five scoreless innings from Georgetown graduate pitcher Brooke Plonka, Appalachian State broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth with a bases-loaded triple. The Hoyas were unable to muster up any offense of their own throughout the contest, and the game ended 3-0.
In the second game on Friday, Eastern Kentucky overwhelmed Georgetown. The Colonels generated considerable momentum after hitting a home run in the first, and though the Hoyas were able to create some offense and clutch hitting, they lost 9-3 after Eastern Kentucky added 4 runs in the sixth inning.
Saturday’s rematch against Appalachian State did not go better than the first game for Georgetown. Sophomore pitcher and first baseman Kayla Dunn hit a home run in the fourth inning, but this was the Hoyas’ only run of the game. They again fell to the Mountaineers, 3-1.
The Hoyas did hang with the Colonels for more than half the game in their second matchup, but Eastern Kentucky took the lead in the bottom of the fourth by spraying the field with singles, racking up 7 runs in one inning. Georgetown could not keep up, and Eastern Kentucky won the contest 7-2.
On Sunday, Georgetown fell behind 5-0 in the fourth against UNCW but rallied back in the sixth with a 3-run inning behind junior third baseman Samantha Miller, first-year first and third baseman Dayanara Campos and Vasquez-Inzunza. Unfortunately, the Hoyas fell just short and lost 5-3.
Hoya fan Charlie Phillips (MSB ’25) said he was disappointed in the team’s performance but noted that a promising season lies ahead.
“They showed some good fight and should have momentum heading into the SLU game,” Phillips said in an interview with The Hoya.
The Hoyas were outscored 27-9 on the weekend and lacked offensive firepower in every game, dropping the Hoyas’ overall record to 2-10 on the year.
Though the bus ride from Wilmington back to the District could not have been a satisfying one, the softball program showed resilience in every game that it played despite the mounting losses.
Head Coach Pat Conlan said she still felt positively about the team’s overall performance and pointed out some areas for improvement.
“We have a talented team. I thought we played so many great innings this past weekend, but we struggled to play a complete game from start to finish. Ultimately, we need some timely hitting,” Conlan told The Hoya.
Graduate catcher and captain Mae Forshey echoed Conlan’s sentiment in an interview with The Hoya.
“Our record doesn’t really show how competitive our games have been and how hard this team fights for all of our games,” Forshey said.
The Hoyas next face Southeastern Louisiana University (13-2) at 3:00 p.m. March 3 in Madeira Beach, Fla. The match will be televised on FloSports.
