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Wednesday, May 8, 2013 9:08 p.m.

Softball earns record six All-Conference awards

by The GW Hatchet

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Sean Hurd.

Junior Courtney Martin winds up and prepares to let a pitch loose earlier this season. Martin was named to the A-10 First and All-Academic teams. Hatchet File Photo by Cameron Lancaster | Hatchet Photographer

Six players on the GW softball team made program history Tuesday, when they were named to multiple Atlantic 10 All-Conference teams.

  • Courtney Martin was selected to the A-10 First Team, while senior center fielder Autumn Taylor earned a selection to the A-10 Second Team.
  • Among first-year players, freshmen Carlee Gray and Meghan Rico were selected to the All-Rookie Team.
  • For achievement in the classroom, senior Amanda Zakeri and junior Chelsea Lenhart and Martin all earned spots on the All-Academic Team.

The six GW players on All-Conference teams are the most ever in the softball program’s 11-year history. The Colonials surpassed the 2008 program record, which included four All-Conference players.

In her first season as a full-time starter, Martin quickly emerged as a prominent, consistent pitching force for the Colonials. Going into the A-10 tournament, Martin has a 13-11 record, with three saves and a 2.00 ERA. She’s also logged 159 strikeouts and has pitched an outstanding 181.2 innings this season. Martin’s ERA and win total are the second-best single-season totals in program history, while her strikeout sum is third best.

Coming through with clutch hit after clutch hit for GW this season, the centerfield Taylor has cemented her position as one of the best hitters in GW program history. Entering the A-10 tournament, Taylor is batting a career-best .356 and slugging .652 with 48 hits, five triples, eight home runs and 43 RBIs. Those totals all rank among the top-10 single-season marks in program history, including second in RBIs and triples, fourth in slugging and fifth in batting average. She is the Colonials’ all-time leader in RBIs with 102.

Making her new presence known very early into the season, Colonials freshman first baseman Carlee Gray emerged as a hitting force for GW. Gray ranks second on the team in doubles and third in batting average, hits and RBIs. Earlier this season, Gray reached base in a school-record 18 consecutive games, and was named A-10 Rookie of the Week after blasting the game-winning grand slam against Ohio State.

The other freshman standout performance this season has come from pitching phenom Meghan Rico. Rico carries a 13-10 record into tournament play, holding a 3.06 ERA with 133 strikeouts in 126.0 innings of work. The product of Wrentham, Mass. has held opponents to a .198 batting average, which ranks second in the A-10 and is on pace for a school record. Rico’s 13 wins and five shutouts both match GW rookie records. Rico made waves early on in the season when she recorded GW’s third no-hitter in program history during her first-ever collegiate start.

Combined, Rico and Martin have become the second-best pitching staff in the Atlantic 10.

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Wednesday, May 8, 2013 8:52 p.m.

Softball advances after shaky day one of A-10 tournament

by The GW Hatchet

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Alex Kist.

Members of the softball team huddle during a game earlier this season. The Colonials move on to the second round of the A-10 tournament after their 2-1 win over Dayton. Hatchet File Photo by Cameron Lancaster | Contributing Photo Editor

Top of the seventh, bases loaded, junior Courtney Martin stood with a fearless presence on the mound.

At the plate, Dayton senior Kathleen Maloof looked for one hit, one run to tie up the game and keep her team alive in the Atlantic 10 Championships.

With a pop-up to the shortstop, Martin secured a spot for the Colonials in the next round, while Maloof and the Flyers watched their journey end in the double-elimination tournament on day one.

The win for the No. 4 seed GW shored up a rain-soaked, battle-tested day and helped them advance after an earlier loss to the No. 5 seed Saint Louis Billikens (27-21).

The Colonials quickly fell behind 2-0 to Saint Louis in the top of the second, after a walk, two hits contributed to the Billikens’ early and sustainable lead.

The Billikens continued to pour on the runs, racking up two more in the top of the third to go up 4-0.

“We were still trying to mentally focus and prepare for the game,” head coach Stacey Schramm said. “We dug ourselves in a hole and we could not get out of it.”

GW came out in the sixth inning ready to counter Saint Louis’ lead, using a double up the middle by sophomore Victoria Valos and a hard single by senior Autumn Taylor to put the Colonials on the scoreboard, 4-2.

On the defensive side, GW pitchers held Saint Louis down, keeping the Billikens from scoring any more runs in the game’s second half.

“[Freshman Meghan] Rico came in and did a good job of just shutting their hitters down and I think our defense kind of realized what we were doing and decided they were going to make plays for her,” Schramm said. “The momentum shifted into our favor, but we still couldn’t get enough runs and the hole proved too deep for the Colonials to resurface from.”

The comeback would end there though, as the Colonials’ bats could not muster any more runs themselves.

In between games Schramm said she tried to fire up her players by reminding them all that was at stake.

“Clearly they want a championship, that’s what we trained and worked all year for, but there is a difference between wanting it and doing what it takes to get it,” Schramm said. “Every player on her team wants to win the championship this year but the key is going to be for each player to not just talk the talk we have to walk the walk”.

The Colonials took Schramm’s words and made the best of their second chance in game two to advance to the next round of A-10 play.

The match-up against No. 6 seeded Dayton (22-24) began in a similar fashion to the loss just hours before, as the Flyers grabbed the lead and the Colonials’ bats remained dormant until late in the game.

A solo home run by Dayton shortstop Jordan Jennings in the top of the fifth broke open the scoreless battle, and gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead.

A sacrifice bunt by Valos in the bottom of the fifth, though, allowed two GW runners to advance and finally score off a hit from sophomore Samantha Dos Santos.

“The sacrifice bunt at the bottom of the fifth inning was clutch”, Schramm said. “We had players on first and second and Valos put a solid bunt on the ground, and even though she was thrown out, she was amazing. Dos Santos also demonstrated her momentum on the field and really battled with two strikes on her and just hit all the way up the middle and put two runs up on the board”.

From the rubber, Martin made up for GW’s slow offensive start, allowing just four hits and four walks in a complete-game effort, where she also struck out seven.

Behind Martin, the Colonials were able to maintain their slim one-run lead, and escape with a 2-1 victory.

After splitting day one’s games, Schramm said she is hopeful that the team will keep its focus and determination continuing on to another A-10 matchup on Thursday.

“We are confident in both of our pitchers and I think that’s going to give us the best shot to do well,” Schramm said. “We have two really good pitchers so hopefully they can get us through back to the championship and they’ll meet their goal.”

The team will square off at 3 p.m. Thursday against the lower-seeded loser of Thursday’s first two games, which feature No. 1 Saint Joseph’s against the Billikens and No. 2 Fordham versus No. 3 Temple.

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Sunday, May 5, 2013 8:40 p.m.

Softball botches chance at regular season title, falls in doubleheader

by The GW Hatchet

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Josh Solomon.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and the tying run on first Sunday, senior Autumn Taylor drove a ball to deep right-center field.  The ball dropped into the right fielder’s glove at the fence, below where parents and friends cheered on the seniors in the final home game.

Third out, game over, Senior Day over.

Junior Courtney Martin winds up and prepares to let a pitch loose against Drexel earlier this season. Hatchet File Photo by Cameron Lancaster | Hatchet Photographer

GW had a chance to win the A-10 conference for the first time in program history entering the doubleheader, needing to sweep the Hawks to earn the regular season title.

But it quickly unraveled into a day in which the Colonials could not win the conference, and could not secure a first-round tournament bye. They will enter the tournament as the fourth seed.

With Taylor up with the game on the line in game two, GW needed just a win to clinch second place and the first round bye. Fordham had just beaten Temple, meaning both teams finished at 15-7 with a .682 winning percentage in conference. A win would put GW in second place at 14-6 with a .700 winning percentage.

Instead, the ball dropped for out three.

“Frustration. You lose a game 2-1, it’s frustrating. You lose a game in the seventh inning, it’s frustrating,” head coach Stacey Schramm said. “We just can’t have an off day against Saint Joe’s or Temple or UMass or anyone at the top of the conference. We can’t. We’re just not good enough to make mistakes and overcome it.”

The game two loss was difficult for the Colonials to swallow, especially after the way the first game ended. GW was on their way to a win, carrying a 2-0 lead into the top of the seventh.

The Colonials scored their two runs early on, one in the first and one in the second, both of which were unearned. Senior Amanda Zakeri led off the bottom half of the first with a walk, advanced to second on an error and scored on a RBI single from sophomore Victoria Valos. In the second, GW scored another run off a throwing error, but once again left two runners stranded on base.

In the seventh, junior Courtney Martin went out to complete the game, holding a six hit shutout to that point. A botched ball at third, followed by a bunt base hit and a ball under the glove at second base, set the stage for a Hawks.  They capitalized with a home run and a five-run inning off three errors and three hits.

GW didn’t have the offense to battle back in the bottom of the inning, relinquishing their chance to win the regular season title.

“We try to say we have two seconds to get over things. Two seconds to get over an error. Two seconds to get over a strikeout. It was one of those things where we were down and we were frustrated but I said, ‘It’s our senior day. It’s a big day. We have all these fans here, we can still fight for second place.’ And they were ready,” Schramm said.

The second game brought a new focus: win the game and have a chance to finish second overall, and claim a first round bye.

Freshman Meghan Rico started for the Colonials, throwing six innings while allowing two runs and five walks.

The Hawks struck early with one run in the top of the first inning. Rico walked back-to-back batters on full counts with two outs and runners on second and third, driving in one run.

GW had an opportunity to respond in the first, but on a Taylor double down the left field line, Valos rounded third too wide as her coach signaled for her to stop, and was picked off on the relay throw for the third out of the inning.

Taylor later doubled in the fifth to drive in the only GW run of the game, but Rico gave that run right back in the sixth. Again, Rico walked two batters, including the leadoff hitter who eventually scored for what would be the game-winning run.

“I was just going to focus on keeping the batters off balanced, mixing in as many pitches as I could. It seemed to work pretty well but I just kind of let it go with the walks. It was really disappointing because I wanted to win this one for the seniors,” Rico said.

In the bottom of the seventh, it seemed the Colonials still had a chance with the top of the lineup due up. Zakeri, though, grounded out, Fogarty reached on a fumbled ball to the shortstop, and Valos flied out to center.

Then, with two outs, the senior – Taylor – with two doubles already on the day, looked to tie it up. She hit the ball hard to the fence, but to her and her team’s dismay it was caught to end the game. She slowly walked off the field, batting gloves still on, clinging onto her helmet, not ready to let go.

“I’m going to remember that I played as hard as I could but things didn’t happen to go my way but I can say that I left it all out on the field,” Taylor said.

GW will play Saint Louis, the fifth-seed, in the first round of the A-10 tournament Wednesday in Amherst, Mass.

 

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Saturday, April 27, 2013 11:35 p.m.

Colonials, Martin sweep Dayton in softball doubleheader

by The GW Hatchet

Corrections appended

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Alex Kist.

For the first time in her career, junior Courtney Martin pitched a shut out, going all seven innings against the Dayton Flyers and holding them to just three hits.

Martin would immediately continue that shut out into the second game of the series, leading the way to a doubleheader sweep for the Colonials.

Junior Courtney Martin winds up and prepares to let a pitch loose earlier in the year against Drexel. Martin was phenomenal for the Colonials in their doubleheader against Dayton. Hatchet File Photo by Cameron Lancaster | Hatchet Photographer

“Oh my God, [Martin] did outstanding. She did so well the first game. She just kept the hitters off balance,” head coach Stacey Schramm said.

After splitting with La Salle (15-27, 3-15 A-10) in a doubleheader on Wednesday, GW (25-18, 12-4 A-10) took the field to compete in a quick two-game series against the Flyers (20-22, 10-9 A-10).

In the series opener, GW used strong offensive and defensive play to put away the Flyers, capturing a 4-0 victory. Martin’s fast pitches and fixed concentration threatened any chance the Flyers had of making it on the scoreboard.

A homerun and all four RBIs from senior Autumn Taylor was enough on the offensive side to support Martin.

“It’s [Taylor's] senior year, so she’s trying to go out with a bang,” Schramm said. “She only has a few games left left and she’s just working hard like everyone else.”

In the second game of the doubleheader, a first inning single to left field by sophomore Samantha Dos Santos with the bases loaded helped the Colonials get out to an early 1-0 lead against Dayton.

But in the next two innings, GW could not bring any runs across. The Flyers easily handled line drives, and with the additional strikeouts coming from Dayton freshman Emily Froment, the Colonials failed to make it on base.

“Their pitcher did a good job.  She had a decent number of walks, and the players did a good job of shutting our hitters down,” Schramm said. “We were having good at-bats and we were making her throw a lot of pitches, but we just couldn’t get anything going offensively in the game as far as stringing some hits along.”

Shaky pitching at the onset of the fourth inning finally allowed the Colonials on base. Freshman Carlee Gray scored off a walk from senior Amanda Zakeri, and senior Tara Fogarty singled to right field, leading to a second Dos Santos run, and a 4-0 lead.

The Colonials then came out in the fifth inning and protected their lead with some strong defense and insurance runs.

“Defensively we played really well. They had a lot of fly outs and a lot of pop-ups off of Courtney [Martin], so our kids were ready for it. They executed everything we worked on in practice everyday”, said Schramm. “There was really no stress and no worry today because I always know defense can make the next play”.

Martin again started for the Colonials during the second game, throwing five solid innings before she was relieved by freshman Meghan Rico, who allowed only one hit in the final two innings to record the victory.  Martin pitched a total of 12 shut out innings over the doubleheader.

The Colonials will take on non-conference rival Georgetown on Tuesday, which Schramm said could be practice for future A-10 match-ups.

“I don’t want to say we’re looking beyond Georgetown, but we’re just shooting Georgetown as a way to prepare for next weekend in our big conference games against Temple and St. Joe’s,” Schramm said.

This post was updated April 28, 2013 to reflect the following:

The Hatchet reported that this was Courtney Martin’s first three-hitter, but it was her first shutout. The Hatchet also reported that the first game was stopped after five innings, but it went the full seven innings. We regret these errors.

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Friday, March 22, 2013 9:57 a.m.

Softball team drops final non-conference game to Princeton

by Elizabeth Traynor

Junior Courtney Martin winds up and prepares to let a pitch loose against Drexel. Hatchet File Photo by Cameron Lancaster | Hatchet Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Sean Hurd.

You could feel the momentum slowly start to shift.

In the top of the fifth inning of the Colonials’ matinee versus the Princeton Tigers, on what was a very cold and windy Thursday afternoon, Colonials starting pitcher Meghan Rico took the mound with a comfortable 3-0 cushion.

After a couple of pitches, it was evident that Rico was struggling to find the strike zone against Princeton’s leadoff batter; even after she stifled the Princeton offense early on, only allowing two hits through her first four innings of work.

Rico walked the Princeton leadoff hitter on four pitches to start the inning.

Then, Rico walked the next batter.

And then she walked the next batter.

The bases were now loaded with still no Princeton players retired in the inning. Head coach Stacey Schramm tried to explain Rico’s struggle to throw strikes.

“There was probably a field temperature of 28 degrees,” Schramm said. “It’s difficult to throw strikes in these kinds of elements, but it is what it is. She maybe just lost it, clearly she lost it.”

With the bases loaded and nobody out, Schramm decided to tap the shoulder of her go-to pitcher so far this season, Courtney Martin.

But Martin struggled to get out of the inning. Against the first batter she faced, Martin surrendered an RBI groundout to Princeton shortstop Alyssa Schmidt, narrowing the lead to two runs. Up next for the Tigers was starting pitcher Alex Peyton, who lined a single to right field clearing the bases and tying the score up at three.

After Martin was able to get out of a jam in the fifth, and the Colonials failed to score with the bases loaded in the bottom half of the inning, Princeton was able to score four unearned runs in the top of the sixth with the help of an error by the GW defense to take the lead and eventually win the game 7-3.

The Tigers improved to 11-8 overall while the Colonials fell to 11-13, and have now lost two in a row.

.“I have a short memory with games like these,” Schramm said, adding that her team may have taken its foot off the gas after gaining the lead early on. “I think we tried to hit the cruise control after the first inning going up three nothing. Unfortunately Princeton was able to take advantage of the three walks and the error to really break the game open.”

Martin (5-8) was tagged with the loss, going three innings, and giving up four unearned runs on five hits, while striking out three.

The bright spot from the Colonials’ offense came from sophomore shortstop Victoria Valos who smacked a three-run home run over the right field fence to give the Colonials an early first inning lead.

Valos credited the GW coaching staff for giving her a precise scouting report that had her looking for the Princeton starter’s favorite pitch, the dropball.

“Going into that at bat I was thinking to just keep my hands high, look for something outside, and that’s what I got,” Valos said, who leads the team in home runs with six.

Valos also commented on the mindset of her team, and how they plan to rebound before the start of conference play this Sunday.

“I think we as a team are very confident right now,” Valos said. “We’ve been playing really well these past few games. This game was just one bump in the road that makes us that much stronger. We’ll learn from our mistakes and come back ready to play.”

The Colonials begin conference play this Sunday when they play a double-header against the Charlotte 49ers, beginning at noon.

 

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Thursday, March 21, 2013 10:32 a.m.

Softball team narrowly drops game in 10-inning effort

by Elizabeth Traynor

Junior Courtney Martin winds up and prepares to let a pitch loose against Drexel. Hatchet File Photo by Cameron Lancaster | Hatchet Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Sean Hurd.

Calling Wednesday’s game a nail-biter just doesn’t quite do it justice.

Riding the momentum of a school record six-game winning streak, the Colonials (11-12) fell on the wrong side of a walk-off win Wednesday night against Virginia, losing the game in 10 innings by a score of 2-1.

“The game could have gone either way tonight,” head coach Stacey Schramm said. “The effort that my team put forward was absolutely incredible.”

Going into Charlottesville to face an ACC team like Virginia is no easy task, but Schramm reassured her players before the game that their level of plate of late should not be taken lightly.

“I said that we can really play with anyone at this point, and I really believe that,” Schramm said. “It doesn’t matter who our opponent is, or whether we are playing on our field or someone else’s. The way we’re playing right now is solid, and can be against anyone.”

Unfortunately, Schramm’s pregame pep talk wasn’t enough to ignite the Colonials’ offense. The team struggled against a dominant performance from Virginia starting pitcher Melanie Mitchell. who went eight innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out a whopping sixteen Colonial batters.

It was a performance that Schramm predicted before the start of the game.

“Going into the game I really knew it was going to be a pitcher’s duel and that one swing might be the difference, and in the end, it was,” Schramm said.

The hit came off of the bat of Virginia sophomore Megan Harris, who lined a single down the left field line off of Colonials pitcher Courtney Martin, scoring the Virginia runner on third and cementing the win for the Cavaliers (12-12).

Although tacked with a loss, Martin (5-7) put on a clinic of her own during Wednesday’s pitching contest. She went the distance, going nine innings, giving up two runs on ten hits, while striking out 10.

When asked about the idea of relieving Martin instead of having her pitch a complete game, Schramm said she felt it was unnecessary given the quality of pitching from Martin as well as well as her change-up oriented pitch type.

“She throws about 90 percent change-ups,” Schramm said. “So it wasn’t like she was getting worn out, she was effective the entire game. It just happened to be that, that inning Virginia strung a couple of hits together.”

While the loss ended the Colonials’ six-game winning streak, Schramm said that to her coaching staff and her team, the winning streak was insignificant.

“It’s awesome that we set records, and that’s great, but a six-game winning streak is not something we are proud of,” said Schramm. “We want to set much longer win streaks than six. It’s great and I’m glad people are making somewhat of a big deal about it, but really for my team it’s not a big deal. What we are looking for is a consistent level of play.”

Schramm describes her team’s play over the course of the past 10 games to be “consistently strong,” and much of that, according to the coach, is credited to the work the Colonials have been putting on in the batting cage, and an increased effort from the players.

“We spent a lot of time in the gym, videotaping them, and analyzing their swings and breaking them down,” Schramm said. “Now they don’t just go through the routine. When they take batting practice, they have a purpose. Before they would just go up there and take some [swings], but there was no effort as far as making the adjustments involved, and now there is. We are just hitting the crap out of the ball.”

One of the big standout for the Colonials during their recent success has been freshman standout Carly Gray. Gray who, was just awarded A-10 rookie of the week this past Tuesday, has been a key contributor to GW’s offensive success.

“She’s been our most consistent hitter from the start and up to this point,” Schramm said. “She goes up to the plate and is just fearless. Nothing shakes her, she’s very calm, composed, and confident. It doesn’t even matter that she’s a freshman, she’s a pure leader on our team.”

Like every coach, Schramm believes that a team always has something they can improve, and for her squad she says it’s the mental errors.

“Sometimes it’s the mental mistakes during the games that drives me nuts,” she said. “It’s something that’s so simple and in our control. That would be my one complaint.”

Looking forward, the Colonials are confident in their play after winning eight of their last 10 games, and it shows on the field.

But they’re not settling for their current success, Schramm adds.

“We’re not just saying okay, we’re there, we’re done,” Schramm said. “We are continuing to do what got us here, everyday. We’re making sure we’re continuing to grind and work, and get better everyday.”

 

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Sunday, March 3, 2013 3:45 p.m.

Softball team swept over three-game weekend home stand

by Elizabeth Traynor

Junior Courtney Martin winds up and prepares to let a pitch loose against Drexel. Hatchet File Photo by Cameron Lancaster | Hatchet Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Sean Hurd.

The scene: the top of the seventh inning during Friday’s game versus Dartmouth. As Colonial pitcher Meghan Rico starts her windup, the Dartmouth batter squares up for a routine sacrifice bunt to advance the runner that is on base.

She gets slightly under the ball and pops the ball up towards Rico. Initially, it appeared to be catchable with an extra effort, but instead Rico ops to let the ball fall and then field it. Just as Rico reaches to field the ball, the backspin propels it just out of her reach, allowing the Dartmouth player to cross the bag before a throw was made.

The play seemed to embody much of the Colonials’ play so far this season, where games that seem within their reach frustratingly slip through their fingers.

This weekend, the Colonials hosted the Colonial Classic. For the second time this season, GW was unable to come out with a victory by tournament’s end, losing all three of their games by a single run.

Friday, the Colonials dropped a game to Dartmouth, 3-2, and then fell to Bucknell in eight innings by a score of 4-3. Saturday, GW faced Dartmouth in a rematch of Friday’s game, but once again fell short, losing the game 2-1.

In Friday’s game against Dartmouth, the Colonials’ (3-10) offense was awakened after sophomore shortstop Victoria Valos smashed her second homerun of the season in the fourth inning. However, GW’s bats were only able to muster up three hits and a single run over the course of play, and Dartmouth (5-3) squeaked out a win

Rico was tagged with the loss. She (2-5) gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits, and five walks in three innings.

Friday’s second game against Bucknell seemed hopeful for the Colonials, as they were able to take a 1-0 lead in the fourth behind four strong innings by junior Courtney Martin.

But the Bison responded in the top of the fifth with three runs of their own, taking a 3-1 lead.

The Colonials gave an answer of their own in the bottom half of the inning, thanks in big part to junior right fielder Chelsea Lenhart, who lined a two-run single to right field. The game went to extra innings, where Bucknell was able to manufacture a run with a little help from international tiebreaker rules. Starting with a runner on second, the Bison advanced her to third off a sacrifice bunt, eventually driving her in with an RBI single.

GW was unable to score and fell to the Bison by a single run in eight innings. Martin suffered the loss in her relief role after allowing only a single run on three hits in three and a third innings.

In the GW’s final game, its rematch with Dartmouth, the Colonials were only able to produce a single run although they were able to generate six hits, their tournament high.

The Colonials held onto a tie with Dartmouth into the seventh inning, but the Big Green were able to load the bases and score the clutch run against Colonials reliever Martin.

Without an answer from the Colonial offense, the Big Green won the game 2-1. Lenhart and seniors Julie Orlandi and Amanda Zakeri each had two hits for the Colonials in the loss. Rico was charged with the defeat, surrendering two runs on five hits in six and two thirds innings. Although Rico struck out a career-high ten batters, she also walked eight.

GW’s game against Seton Hall, which was originally scheduled for Sunday, was postponed.

The Colonials return to action Wednesday when they visit Towson at 2 p.m.

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Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013 9:37 a.m.

Softball team splits record in weekend stalled by rain

by Elizabeth Traynor

Then- sophomore Chelsea Curcio cheers during a softball game last season. Hatchet File Photo

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Sean Hurd.

If head coach Stacey Schramm had to describe her team’s performance this weekend at the Carolina Classic, “inconsistent” likely would have quickly come to mind.

After rainy conditions in the Tar Heel state cut the team’s tournament short, the Colonials (2-6) left the Carolina Classic with a split record; recording a 5-4 victory against North Dakota State, and dropping a game to Iona 5-1.

The Colonials’ win against North Dakota State (4-8) put an end to a prolonged five-game losing skid, but the win didn’t come easy. After a back-and-forth game took the teams into extra innings, a bang-bang play at the plate in the bottom of the eighth ended the game with the Colonials on top.

“It was a nail biter,” Schramm said. “We were able to make that key play in the last inning and earned the win.”

Schramm gave much of the credit for the North Dakota win to junior pitcher Courtney Martin, who shined in her relief role in Friday’s game. Martin (1-3) only allowed one run on five hits in her six innings of relief work, and struck out a career-high eight batters.

“Martin pitched outstanding” said Schramm. “She was able to dominate the North Dakota hitters with a really good changeup.”

One sure sign of consistency for the Colonials squad thus far has been freshman bright spot, Carlee Gray. For a second week in a row, the first baseman came up big for the Colonials offense. Against North Dakota State Gray went 2-for-4 driving in two runs, one of which was an RBI single in the top of the eighth that eventually won the Colonials the game.

But something between the end of the game against North Dakota State and the start of the game versus Iona fell through the cracks for the Colonials, as they were unable to carry the momentum of Friday’s win into Saturday’s contest.

After holding on to a one-run lead through four innings, Martin went to the mound to start the fifth, when rain began to pour.

“As soon as [Courtney] touched the ball, there was a steady downpour,” Schramm said, adding that the team was bothered all weekend by the inclement weather.

The rain acted as the turning point in the game for the Colonials. Iona would go on to score five unanswered runs to win the game. GW had a number of opportunities to drive in runs but finished the game with a total of nine runners left on base.

“We had so many one-out opportunities but we could not get anything going,” Schramm said. “They were able to come up with the clutch hits to break the game up. They did exactly what we wanted to do.”

The loss to Iona was a matter of failing to keep the pressure on the Gaels, Schramm said. As GW let up on its intensity, she added, Iona quickly took advantage of the lull to play its way back into contention.

The drop in intensity had negative implications for the Colonials’ offense, too, Schramm added.

“We reverted back to what we had been doing [last week],” Schramm said. “We were not being aggressive at the plate, and leaving [our at bats] in the umpires hands.”

For much of this early season, the Colonials have struggled to produce runs, which Schramm said is something the team worked on extensively this past week.

“We really worked hard all week to make those little adjustments, and widen the strike zone,” Schramm said. “I think our hitters are really disciplined and just aren’t adjusting to what the umpire is calling. They had great at-bats against North Dakota. You could see them reaping the benefits from working all week on [our hitting].”

Saturday’s games against Iowa State and Penn State were cancelled due to rain. GW returns to action Tuesday to host Drexel in their home opener.

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Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 4:23 p.m.

Colonial sports weekend round-up

by Elizabeth Traynor

Then- sophomore Chelsea Curcio cheers during a softball game last season. Hatchet File Photo

A lot of GW sports teams were in action this weekend, and we didn’t have room to fit all of them on today’s page. Below, a look at how Colonials fared in action, including the third no-hitter in softball program history.

Softball

Freshman Meghan Rico threw just the third no-hitter in softball program history, helping the Colonials blank Seton Hall 8-0 in the team’s season debut. She struck out six and walked four over five innings, becoming the first rookie in GW softball history to throw a no-hitter.

Rico’s efforts were supplemented by hot hitting from the rest of the Colonials, including a 2-for-3 performance, with three RBIs, from sophomore Victoria Valos. Freshman Carlee Gray went 2-for-2, including a double, and senior Autumn Taylor became the eighth player in program history to record 100 career hits and the fifth to reach 60 RBIs.

GW struggled over the rest of the weekend, falling 5-1 to Robert Morris and 11-1 to Campbell. Though junior Courtney Martin struck out a career-high seven batters in the complete game, the Colonials’ offense couldn’t find a rhythm to challenge Robert Morris.

Against Campbell, the Colonials scored their only run on the game after Gray drove in junior Chelsea Lendhart. The loss went to Rico, who allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits and five walks over 2.1 innings.

 

Women’s water polo

The Colonials went 1-2 as they opened their season this weekend, falling 20-6 to No. 10 Princeton and 21-6 to No. 4 California, but defeated Villanova 14-9.

Against Princeton, GW connected on just 6 of 29 shots. It dropped the game despite a hat trick from junior Rachael Bentley, unable to compete with the Tigers’ hot offensive front.

California’s offense, too, proved too strong for the Colonials to handle. Junior Katherine Berry paced GW with two goals, and the team was able to go  2-for-3 on extra-man advantages, but couldn’t overcome the No. 4 ranked team.

GW was able to close the weekend with a win, though, when it took the pool against Villanova. Bentley matched the school records for most assists and points in a game, recording six assists and nine points. Freshmen Hannah Cox and Erin Donoghue added four goals each, and freshman Caterina Sesana had a career-high five saves in goal.

 

Women’s tennis

The Colonials faced two District rivals this weekend, falling 4-3 to Georgetown but rebounding to defeat George Mason 7-0.

Against Georgetown, GW was swept in doubles play, but almost rallied to win enough singles points to take the match. Senior Mimi Hamling took a three-set victory at the No. 3 singles slot, supplemented by freshman Stephanie Wei’s win at the No. 4 spot and senior Dorota Lysienia’s victory at the No. 5 singles position.

GW was much stronger against the Patriots, earning all six of its singles victories in straight sets. The team also claimed all three doubles matches to earn the doubles point, solidly sweeping George Mason over the day’s competition.

 

Men’s tennis

The men’s tennis team upset No. 67 Old Dominion over the weekend, picking up a 4-3 victory Friday afternoon.

The Colonials were defeated at the No. 1 and 2 doubles slot to open competition, putting them in a one-point hole heading into singles play. But the team roared back, taking key singles victories, some in straight sets, to tally a win over Old Dominion.

Freshman Danil Zelenkov came back after dropping the first set of his singles competition to take the match over the next three sets. Senior Alexander Van Gils, junior Nikita Fomin and junior Ulrik Thomsen all took their singles matches in straight sets to cement GW’s win.

 

Squash

Both the men’s and women’s squash teams were in action this weekend, with the men’s squad falling to No. 7 Franklin and Marshall 9-0, while the women’s team took down Franklin and Marshall in their game 8-1.

In its season finale, the men’s squash team couldn’t pick up a win, swept by their rivals. Freshman Reid Breck came close to picking up a point for GW but ultimately dropped a five-set match to his Franklin and Marshall opponent.

Three of the women’s squash match wins were picked up in straight sets, including efforts from freshmen Anna Gabriela Porras, Emely Levyn and Alexa Tzarnas.

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Saturday, April 7, 2012 9:30 p.m.

Softball team hits its way to a 3-1 record over weekend play

by Elizabeth Traynor

Senior Lauren Wilson connects with the pitch against Charlotte earlier this season. | Hatchet File Photo

The key for the Colonials this weekend was that they weren’t under pressure, head coach Stacey Schramm said.

GW faced two A-10 rivals over four games, but with Temple and Saint Joseph’s also taking on conference standout Fordham over the weekend, their minds’ weren’t on GW, Schramm said.

And the Colonials used that to their advantage to return from Philadelphia with a 3-1 record over the weekend.

“We went into the whole weekend saying ‘there’s no pressure on us.’ Saint Joe’s and Temple, they were also playing Fordham this weekend,” Schramm said. “We were really overlooked this weekend and we definitely took advantage of it. It was evident that Temple and Saint Joe’s thought they were going to sweep us.”

GW started play Friday with its second straight conference victory, grabbing an 11-7 win over Temple. The Colonials (12-24, 3-5 A-10)  picked up their first A-10 win over the Owls Thursday, nabbing a 4-2 victory.

Friday’s contest was a slugfest, and one the Colonials hung on to claim with five home runs, including two from junior Tara Fogerty. She went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored, with all three of her hits going for extra bases after she added a double to her pair of home runs. Senior Lauren Wilson, junior Autumn Taylor and freshman Victoria Valos all added homers for the Colonials, who have hit seven home runs in the last two games.

Schramm said her team’s offensive emergence over the weekend was mainly due to GW settling down at the plate. In the practice days leading up to the road trip, the Colonials focused on live batting and situational drills, efforts that helped the team gain confidence during play.

“The game against Temple, we had six errors. That was crazy, usually when a team makes six errors, we lose. There’s no question about it,” Schramm said. “[But] every time we got up, I knew offensively we were going to get those runs back. The pitchers, I’m sure it was awesome for them to not even worry about holding a team.”

Temple took an early lead in the bottom of the first, but Wilson’s two-out three-run home run in the top of the second gave GW the lead. Valos and Fogarty followed with their first home runs of the day, and the Colonials added two scores in the fourth to go up by three. Temple pulled within a run over the fifth and sixth innings, but GW exploded offensively again in the seventh to seal the 11-7 win.

Senior pitcher Kara Clauss allowed seven runs, five earned, over seven hits in six innings of work, and sophomore pitcher Courtney Martin came in to retire the Owls in the seventh. The sweep, Schramm said, was much-needed after the team fell to Fordham and Charlotte early in A-10 play.

“We needed this. Fordham’s a good team, I didn’t expect to beat them. I did expect to at least split with Charlotte. I think the whole team did. I think they really put pressure on themselves,” Schramm said. “Instead of being nice and loose and relaxed, instead of the mentality they had [this weekend].”

GW didn’t record a hit over the first two innings of game one against Saint Joseph’s Saturday, but came to life in the third, adding four runs to the scoreboard. The Hawks answered with two, but at the top of the fourth, the Colonials sent 13 batters to the plate, tallying eight runs on seven hits.

The Hawks recorded a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 12-4, but that was the last time they would score on the game. Martin got the win for GW, pitching a complete game and allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out four.

Game two Saturday afternoon turned out to be GW’s only loss of the weekend, and was the only game where the Colonials’ bats were silenced over play. The team was held to just one run on five hits, all singles. Saint Joseph’s took a one-run lead in the first, and added three runs in the second on four hits. Valos hit a two-out RBI single to put GW on the board in the third, but it was the last run the Colonials would score en route to a 6-1 loss.

“Today we just had four hits in the second game. It was one of those things where we just, three out of four games, we brought our offensive best to each game but the fourth one,” Schramm said.

The Colonials next visit George Mason Wednesday at 4 p.ms.

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