Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

GU Falls Short of Upsets at Notre Dame

The Georgetown softball team’s (15-22, 5-6 Big East) difficulties at the plate continued on its trip to South Bend, Ind., to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (31-6, 10-0). The Hoyas lost both games of their doubleheader, 5-0 and 3-2 respectively.

A silver lining for the Hoyas was that they played one of the top softball teams in the Big East very closely.

“I was very proud of the way we competed,” Head Coach Pat Conlan said. “Notre Dame is a top 25 opponent and we battled to the last pitch. I think that says a lot about my team.”

In the first game of the doubleheader, sophomore right-handed pitcher Mackensey Carter had another strong outing, but her defense did not offer much assistance. She went six innings and gave up five runs, only one of which was earned. Carter shut down the Fighting Irish for the first three innings but gave up three runs in the fourth inning and two in the sixth.

Senior second baseman Kelsie Hanson and senior third baseman Demetria Cipriano recorded Georgetown’s only two hits of the game.

After pitching, Carter immediately made an impact in the second game of the double dip. In the third inning, she hit a two-run homer that gave the Hoyas their first lead of the series, 2-0.

The anemic Hoya offense picked up in the second game of the series. Hanson went 3-for-3 and three other Hoyas – Cipriano, senior shortstop Samantha Peters and sophomore first baseman Cara Savarese – had two-hit games. But despite creating multiple scoring opportunities, Georgetown could not capitalize and left 13 runners on base.

While she was upset about the lack of runs, Conlan was still happy about her team’s number of opportunities.

“Leaving 13 runners stranded on base is frustrating,” she said. “We had opportunities to win the game many times and we were not able to finish the job. However, I am thrilled that we hit the ball well and put tremendous pressure on the defense all game.”

Senior right-handed pitcher Jennifer Connell had a solid outing, allowing just three runs over six innings, but it was not enough.

The Fighting Irish quickly responded to Carter’s early home run with two home runs in the bottom half of the third inning to tie the game at two. Notre Dame struck once again in the sixth inning with a solo home run that turned out to be the game-winner in a 3-2 win.

The Hoyas’ biggest threats came in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, stranding multiple runners in each inning. In the fourth, consecutive singles by Peters and Savarese loaded the bases, but the clutch hit eluded the Hoyas. The Blue and Gray also left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings. The Hoyas stranded two runners in the seventh as well.

Georgetown will face another Big East foe when it takes on Seton Hall in South Orange, N.J., this weekend in a three-game set. The doubleheader starts at noon on Saturday. Conlan was excited about the opportunity that the Hoyas’ next game offered.

“After a good performance at Notre Dame, I am excited to get back out on the field,” she said. “The team is on a mission to get to the Big East tournament, and our weekend at Seton Hall is another step toward meeting that goal.”

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