The Georgetown softball team (9-23, BIG EAST) took a midweek trip to Fairfax this Wednesday, April 9, for a matchup against George Mason (15-25, Atlantic 10). The Hoyas and the Patriots have been competing against each other since 2006. With Georgetown’s last win being in 2019, the Hoyas wanted to pull out the win to keep the competition alive. The Hoyas picked up a 5-3 win, building confidence before their in-conference series against Providence next week.
The Hoyas got off to a hot start, scoring four of their five runs in the first inning. Third up to bat, sophomore infielder Emily Strittmatter hit a big home run that drove in runs from graduate shortstop Sammy Fenton and sophomore infielder Brooke Rebhan, who were already on base. Freshman outfielder Dani Koo built on this lead by hitting a single that scored junior infielder Dayanara Campos, taking the Hoyas up 4-0 in the first. After a throwing error and wild pitch by Georgetown, George Mason did answer with one run in the bottom of the first.
Strittmatter hit her second home run of the game in the second to bring the score to 5-1, to which George Mason did not respond. The third, fourth, and sixth innings remained scoreless, while George Mason scored singles in the fifth and seventh, both off of ground balls. Despite their final runs, the Patriots could not overcome the powerful start of the Hoyas. The final score in Fairfax came to 5-3, a good morale boost before a long series of eight games coming up in the next month.
Overall, the Hoyas played a strong game and were able to pull out this upset away from home. The clear standout was Strittmater, as she was responsible for four of the five runs from Georgetown in this game. Her powerful hits and consistent home runs will be crucial for the Hoyas for the rest of the season. Georgetown’s main shortcoming in this game came from throwing errors, as each of George Mason’s runs came from either an explicit throwing error or a ground ball. It will be important for the Hoyas in future matchups to make these connections faster and cleaner, potentially giving them the win in close games like this one.
The Hoyas play again next Tuesday at the Washington Nationals Youth Academy against Towson University (18-20, Coastal Athletic Association) before a three game series against Providence (22-23-1) for a BIG EAST matchup. For continued coverage and updates on Georgetown sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter.
