The Massachusetts softball team had its seven-game winning streak snapped on Sunday as it wound up with its first losing streak since March 23 after losing both games in a doubleheader against George Washington.

The Colonials (22-17, 9-3 Atlantic 10) completed their sweep of the Minutewomen (14-19, 8-4) in Game 2 with an 8-0 mercy rule win in six innings.

Meghan Rico (13-7) threw a complete game shutout for GW, giving up four hits and striking out six.

“I thought (the Colonials’ pitchers) did well moving the ball around,” UMass coach Elaine Sortino said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t make the adjustments we needed to make.”

Emma Mendoker made her first appearance in the circle for the Minutewomen since March 30. Mendoker (2-9) pitched four innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits and striking out one before she was pulled early in the fifth inning for Caroline Raymond.

Raymond pitched the final two innings, and also gave up four runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out one.

Sortino said Mendoker did not have her best stuff on the mound against GW, but thought she did well considering how long she had been out. Sortino said the team is working Mendoker back into the rotation.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the first, the Colonials opened it up in the third when UMass third baseman Teea Rogers tried to turn a double play on a grounder hit by Autumn Taylor, but overthrew Tiffany Meeks at first, allowing Victoria Valos to score from first. Taylor scored when the next batter grounded out to second, giving GW a 3-0 lead.

The Colonials took a bigger lead in the fifth, scoring three runs on two hits and an error by Katie Bettencourt in right field to make it 6-0. GW sealed the win in the sixth, scoring two more runs on two hits for the mercy-rule win.

UMass’ comeback bid comes up short in Game 1

The Minutewomen’s seventh inning comeback fell just short as they lost the first game of the doubleheader to the Colonials, 4-3.

Trailing 4-0 in the final inning, the UMass offense finally found life, starting with a one-out single up the middle from Samantha Gray. Cyndil Matthew followed it up with a double down the right field line, and then Quianna Diaz-Patterson tripled down the right field line for her second triple of the day, scoring Matthew and pinch runner Mikayla Panko.

Bettencourt singled up the middle to drive in Diaz-Patterson and bring the Minutewomen within one, but Taylor Carbone grounded out to second and Meeks flew out to center to end the game.
GW scored all four of its runs in one rally in the second inning that involved two walks, two hit batters, a reach on a fielder’s choice where everybody was safe, and one base hit – a double by Tara Fogarty that drove in two of the runs.

Courtney Martin (9-10) pitched the complete game for the Colonials, allowing three runs on nine hits and fanning five batters.

Raymond (11-8) pitched a complete game for UMass as well, allowing four runs on six hits and punching out seven hitters.

The Minutewomen will next take on Rhode Island for a road doubleheader in Kingston, R.I., on Tuesday. The first game is set to start at 3 p.m.

Jesse Mayfield-Sheehan can be reached at [email protected] and can be followed on Twitter @jgms88.