The Georgetown softball team fell 0-4 to the visiting Connecticut Huskies on March 20 to concede their first home series of the 2022 season.

The Hoyas (11-13, 2-2 Big East) and Huskies (14-11, 5-1 Big East) met on an overcast Sunday at the Nationals Youth Academy in Washington, D.C., for the series rubber match. Georgetown first-year pitcher Kayla Dunn started for the Hoyas in search of her seventh win of the season, while Meghan O’Neil pitched for UConn.

It took Connecticut little time to produce some baserunners in the top of the first inning. Dunn’s first pitch of the ballgame ricocheted off the shin of Huskies leadoff hitter Brianna Marcelino. 

Several pitches later, Connecticut right fielder Reese Guevarra was beaned on the shoulder during her at-bat. However, Dunn settled in nicely to fan the next three batters, ending the threat and making those two runners the first of nine that Connecticut stranded on base that afternoon.

In the bottom half of the frame, Georgetown found itself unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities of its own. Things looked promising when Hoyas’ senior catcher Mae Forshey lofted O’Neil’s first effort into centerfield for a single and graduate shortstop Savannah Jones collected a base after being hit by a pitch. 

However, a pair of flyouts proved insufficient to break the scoreless tie.

At the top of the second, Connecticut third baseman Rosie Garcia broke the deadlock, fouling off two pitches to extend her at-bat before cranking an inside offering from Dunn over the left field fence to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. 

After previously going 0-for-6 against Georgetown pitching this far in the series, Garcia’s play marked her team-leading fourth home run of the season.

The Hoyas’ first viable chance to respond came in the bottom of the third inning. Graduate center fielder Cameron Kondo looked to jumpstart the offense by slicing a single into right field and then stealing second and third base. 

Unfortunately for Georgetown, any hope of a comeback was dashed when Guevarra charged into foul territory to nab graduate first baseman Abby Smith’s pop fly for the third out.

Connecticut came out firing in the top of the fourth, with first baseman Sami Barnett floating a soft blooper for a single. Two batters later, Garcia stepped to the plate and crushed a second long ball over the fence in right-center field to extend the Huskies’ lead to 3-0. This homer marked the first multi-home run performance of Garcia’s college career.

Connecticut’s momentum persisted into the fifth when a one-out single from left fielder Lexi Hastings moved Guevarra over to second base. At that point, Hoyas Head Coach Pat Conlan pulled Dunn in favor of sophomore Julia Parker, who promptly punched out the first hitter she faced to record the second out. Barnett then came up to bat and calmly redirected her second single of the day into left field, bringing Guevarra around to score and putting Connecticut in front by four.

With their backs to the wall in the bottom of the seventh, Georgetown battled to get back within striking distance. 

Hoyas’ senior left fielder Cassie Henning drove her second base hit of the game into right field to get things started, but a fly-out and subsequent force-out at second left Georgetown with no margin for error.

Forshey roped a double off the top of the left field fence for the second Georgetown extra-base hit of the day, moving two runners into scoring position and forcing Connecticut to turn to Marybeth Olson to relieve O’Neil. She promptly issued a walk to Kondo to load the bases and bring Jones’ tying run to the plate. Jones then struck out, letting the Huskies escape the District with a 4-0 victory.

Georgetown was shut out for the second time this season despite out-hitting Connecticut 8 to 7. Although the loss sunk the Hoyas to a 6-3 record, Dunn’s seven-strikeout performance was her seventh outing this year where she sat down at least that many batters.

The Hoyas take to the diamond on March 30 to face local challenger George Washington (13-10, 6-0 Atlantic 10) in a one-game showcase, before traveling up to Providence (17-7, 4-2 Big East) the following weekend to resume Big East play.