The Massachusetts softball team failed to avoid the weekend sweep in its last home game as UMass fell 7-0 to George Washington on Sunday. The Minutewomen (19-30, 12-12 Atlantic-10) were hammered by the Colonials’ (33-13, 21-3 A-10) pitching, becoming the victim of a no-hitter. Sierra Lange pitched the seven-inning no-hitter for the Colonials producing six strikeouts and only one walk.
“We just have to take this and learn,” UMass head coach Danielle Henderson said.
The loss fell on freshman pitcher Julianne Bolton. Bolton did not have an ideal outing. She pitched 4.1 innings giving up nine hits, five walks, and six runs. Bolton is 8-9 on the season.
In the first couple of innings, the defense of both teams showed up. In the top of the first with one out, a ball was hit into shallow center field. As what looked like a hit was falling, Minutewomen outfielder Chloe Whittier unleashed her inner flying squirrel as she came out of nowhere to make the diving catch. The Colonials went down one two three. Following the Colonials, UMass copied them going down one two three as well.
After an uneventful second inning, the Colonials made a dent in the third. The first hit of the day came off the lead-off hitter dropping an infield bloop. After a line out to left field, a grounder found its way squeaking by the shortstop and third baseman allowing a single. Then came Alessandra Ponce who smoked a double down the left field line to bring in the first run of the game. A strikeout made it two outs before allowing a walk to load up the bases. Then came a high pitch that UMass catcher Amy Smith couldn’t control allowing a run to score as she chased it down. Thanks to a softly laid bunt, the Minutewomen were able to escape the inning trailing 2-0.
In the bottom of the third UMass got its first base runner, after Grace Cadden struck out swinging but made it to first off a wild pitch. Cadden then stole second to provide the Minutewomen a runner in scoring position. In the end, Cadden was left stranded after a fly-out and a strikeout.
One of the few bright spots in Sunday’s game came in the top of the fourth. After a GW single to right field, there was a runner on first with only one out. With Colonial’s catcher Abby Schaub up at the plate, a fly ball came into right field where Emily Whelan caught it before then throwing a missile to Kendra Allen to complete the double play with the runner failing to get back to first. Plays like these seem to be a necessary part of the MInutewomen’s defense.
“As a team, we have to go all out on defense, I feel like in the second game we didn’t do that,” Henderson said.
After another quiet inning for UMass in the bottom of the fourth, the Colonials broke the game wide open in the top of the fifth. The inning started with a double to left field. The runner was able to advance to third off another costly wild pitch. Then came a single up the middle to bring the runner home. After a fly-out however, UMass had an inning ending double play set up with a runner on first with one out. However, the Colonials were not going to let the Minutewomen off that easily. Another single to center fell, followed by a walk to load the bases. Thanks to a single to left field, another run came in to score. After another walk brought a runner home, a mound visit was in order. For UMass, it didn’t work as the Colonials singled once again. Bolton’s time in this came to an end with sophomore Jenna Bradley taking over the mound. Bradley got out of the inning with two consecutive outs and no more scored runs. The Colonials left the innings scoring four runs with a 6-0 lead.
Bradley only gave up two hits the rest of the game. The only run allowed on her watch came in the seventh off an error in which two UMass fielders collided trying to track down a fly ball.
“She made adjustments from what she was throwing yesterday so for her to be able to come out like that is really important,” Henderson said about the Pennsylvania native.
The Minutewomen will look to have a short memory as they set their sights on the A-10 tournament. The team will begin the tournament on May 11th in Fairfax, Virginia. The first pitch and opponent are still to be determined.
Jordan Meneo can be reached at [email protected].
