GEORGE MASON, HOFSTRA CAPTURE WINS ON FIRST DAY OF CAA SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

Hempstead, NY (May 8) ? Second-seeded George Mason (2-1 over Delaware) and top-seeded Hofstra (4-2 over Towson) picked up first round wins on the opening day of the Colonial Athletic Association Softball Championship on Thursday, May 8 at Hofstra Softball Stadium.

George Mason (30-20) and Hofstra (35-15) will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, with the winner advancing through to Saturday?s 12 noon championship. Towson (29-21-1) and Delaware (20-20-1) will first play an elimination game at 10 a.m., with the winner advancing to play the George Mason-Hofstra loser at 3 p.m.

Game One (George Mason 2, Delaware 1) ? Junior first baseman Kim Braxton (Lynchburg, VA/Heritage) hit a two-run homer in the first inning to support the four-hit pitching of junior Dianna Austin (Fairfax, VA/Robinson) as George Mason (30-20) captured a 2-1 win over Delaware (20-20-1) in the first game of the Colonial Athletic Association Softball Tournament on Thursday at Hofstra University.

Braxton homered to left-center field to put the Patriots ahead 2-0 in the first inning, scoring sophomore Stacy James (Lessburg, VA/Loudon Counry), who led off with an infield single. The score remained the same until the top of the seventh inning, when freshman left fielder Lauren Gardner (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford) walked and scored on a two-out error by George Mason right fielder Miranda Fox (Hanover, PA/New Oxford). However, Austin closed the door by getting pinch hitter Kinsey Lowrey (Shalimar, FL/Oceanview) swinging for the final out. Austin improved her record to 12-6 on the season with the win, while George Mason extended its current win streak to eight games. Sophomore Jenn Joseph (Wilmington, DE/Brandywine) took the loss for Delaware to slip to 12-9. James was the only player in the game with more than one hit, batting 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored.

Game Two (Hofstra 4, Towson 2) ? Senior first baseman Amanda Hallaway (Garden Grove, CA/Calvary Chapel) had both Hofstra hits and drove in all four of its runs, including three with a three-run homer in the third as Hofstra captured a 4-2 win over Towson in the second game of the Colonial Athletic Association Softball Championship on Thursday.

Hallaway had a two-out RBI single in the first inning to score junior catcher Meaghan Almon (East Greenwich, RI/East Greenwich), who drew a one-out walk and stole second base. In the third inning, sophomore left fielder Hailey Clark (Caledon, Ontario/Mayfield) led off with a walk and senior center fielder Heather Brousseau (Southington, CT/Southington) reached on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Hallaway ripped a shot over the left field fence to extend Hofstra?s lead to 4-0.

Towson cut the deficit in half in the fifth inning, when sophomore shortstop Katie Mumbauer (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) hit a two-out, two-run triple to right field, scoring junior catcher Emily Klein (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley NW) and freshman third baseman Keely Walsh (Livermore, CA/Livermore), who both singled to left. However, junior pitcher Alexis Alcantara (Levittown, PA/Notre Dame) came on in relief to retire the final six batters in order to get the save, her second of the season. Sophomore Adrienne Clark (Gibsonton, FL/Riverview) started and went five innings to get the win to improve to 10-2, her ninth straight victory in the circle. Towson?s Jessica Wides (Damascus, MD/Damascus) took the tough-luck loss, allowing just two hits and one earned run to slip to 14-10.


2003 CAA Softball Championship Schedule

Thursday, May 8
Game 1: George Mason 2, Delaware 1
Game 2: Hofstra 4, Towson 2

Friday, May 9
Game 3: Delaware (20-20-1) vs. Towson (29-21-1)
Game 4: George Mason (30-20) vs. Hofstra (35-15)
Game 5: Game Three Winner vs. Game 4 Loser, 3 p.m.

Saturday, May 10
Game 6: Championship ? Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 12 p.m.
Game 7: Championship Game 2 ? same two teams (if necessary), 2:30 p.m.