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

SOFTBALL | Georgetown Ekes Out Win to Close Weekend

The Georgetown softball team (7-5) traveled south this weekend for the N.C. State Wolfpack Challenge in Raleigh, N.C., and came away with two wins and three losses.

The Hoyas started the tournament on a bad note Friday afternoon after losing their first game to the Wolfpack (7-7) by a score of 9-2, but rebounded later in the evening with an 8-0 win against the University of Toledo (2-7). Saturday brought a pair of losses as the Hoyas lost, 9-8, in their second game against Toledo and then fell, 8-0, to Kent State (4-6). The Hoyas squeaked out a 4-3 win over Lehigh (1-5) to close out the tournament.

In the opening game against N.C. State, sophomore infielder Samantha Findling did all the offensive work, contributing two hits and both of the Hoyas’ runs. The Blue and Gray fell apart later in the game, though, allowing at least one run in each of the last four innings. Senior pitcher Mackensey Carter took the loss for the Hoyas.

In game two, the Hoyas found the offensive coordination they had been missing in the first game. Sophomore outfielder Taylor Koenig led the Hoyas’ offense with two runs, a hit and three RBIs. Junior catcher Shikara Lowe had two hits and drove in two runs, while freshman pitcher Lauren O’Leary gave her best performance to date with a two-hit shutout.

“I thought we had some solid pitching efforts,” Head Coach Pat Conlan said. “Lauren picked up two wins for us and showed great composure in pressure situations for us and showed great composure in pressure situations for a freshman.”

“Our at-bats this weekend were really great,” Lowe said. “Our line-up from one to nine can get the job done.”

The Blue and Gray offense was again stellar against Toledo on Saturday, but their efforts weren’t enough to complete a weekend sweep of the Rockets. Though the game started out relatively slowly, Toledo went on to score five runs in the fifth inning to take a 7-1 lead. The Hoyas responded with a seven-run inning to take the lead again before the Rockets clawed back with two runs of their own to steal the win. Lowe led the offense with three hits.

“I thought we played hard in our losses, but we did not take care of the ball,” Conlan said.

“I think the biggest thing the team needs to focus on is not letting one error lead to many more errors,” Lowe said. “When we keep our composure and play one pitch at a time is when we play our best.”

The second game of Saturday’s doubleheader was much worse for Georgetown, as Kent State won an 8-0 laugher and only two Hoyas recorded hits.

“I thought our performance on the field was inconsistent compared to our previous weekends,” Conlan said. “However, I thought our attitude and positive energy remained constant for us.”

The Blue and Gray were able to salvage the weekend on Sunday by eking out a win over Lehigh. Lowe, Carter and Findling had the only three hits for the Hoyas, but the pitching and defense made the relatively meager offensive output stand up in the 4-3 win.

Trailing 2-0 going into the sixth, the Hoyas put up two runs in both the top of the sixth and the seventh. Lehigh responded with one run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Hoyas’ defense stood strong to earn their second victory of the tournament.

“I thought the team showed a lot of fight this weekend,” Lowe said. “Fight isn’t something that can be taught, and what is great about this team is we never give up and we fight until the very last pitch is thrown.”

The Hoyas travel to Kissimmee, Fla., Friday to participate in the Citrus Classic Tournament. The first game is set for Friday at 2:30 p.m. against Illinois State.

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