MERION STATION, Pa. - The top-seeded George Washington Colonials rattled off four straight wins to come from the consolation bracket and win in the second Championship final game against No. 4 Dayton, 7-2, to earn their first outright A-10 Championship crown. The Colonials forced the second game on Saturday behind a 3-2, nine-inning thriller.
With the win, the Colonials (37-9; 23-1 A-10) earn the A-10's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The Flyers end their season with an overall record of 21-26 (14-8 A-10). Its the first outright title for GW in program history. The Colonials share the 2019 championship crown with Fordham after inclement weather forced the cancellation of the final game.
Sierra Lange, who was named the Championship's Most Outstanding Player, pitched nearly every inning in the tournament for the Colonials, collecting 29 strikeouts over 33 innings pitched with four wins.
Joining Lange on the All-Championship team were teammates Jenna Cone, Amber Lotz, Sidney Bloomfield and Alessandra Ponce. Also named to the All-Championship team were Dayton's Megan Ward, Alyssa Cacini, Abby Ehrenborg, Addy Bullis, Sarah Bailitz, and from Fordham, Madie Aughinbaugh.
The Colonials put a three-spot up in the bottom of the second to get the momentum started early. Faith Weber singled, and Jessica Linquist drove in Lotz, who had reached on a fielder's choice. Cone then doubled down the right field line, driving home Bloomfield. Lange piled it on with a double down the right field line to score Linquist and give the Colonials a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Bloomfied, who finished the day 2-for-3, singled to left field, and was moved along by a throwing error, and a ground ball. With the runner on third, Cone once again found a hole down the left field line to score Bloomfield for the fourth run of the day.
The Flyers got one back in the top of the fifth off the bat of Ehrenborg, who lofted a homerun over the left centerfield wall. The Colonials then scored on a Hannah Eslick double in the bottom of the frame, scoring Faith Weber to give GW the 5-1 advantage.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ponce launched her second two-run homerun of the Championship, extending the GW lead back to 7-1. Dayton's Ehrenborg wouldn't go quietly though in the top of the seventh, lining her second consecutive homerun and fourth hit of the game, to make the score 7-2. Weber, pitching in relief for GW, sat down the next two batters to end the game.
Lange registered the win, scattering six hits, fanning three, and allowed just one earned run in the contest. After just 1.2 innings, Bullis gave way to Bailitz who pitched 4.1 innings in relief.
MERION STATION, Pa. - The top-seeded George Washington Colonials got a bases-loaed single from Alexa Williams in the ninth-inning to defeat No. 4 Dayton, 3-2, and force a second Atlantic 10 Softball Championship final game at the SJU Softball Field on Saturday.
The Colonials manufactured their first run in the second inning. Amber Lotz singled and then stole a bag. Sidney Bloomfield then pick up an infield single before orchestrating a double-steal, with Lotz stealing home to give GW a 1-0 lead.
Lotz struck again for the Colonials in the bottom of the fourth with her second hit of the day, singling to shortstop and scoring Alexa Williams, who reached base with a lead-off double.
The two-run GW lead held until the top of the seventh inning, with both pitchers working out of jams. Dayton's Ali Weekly got it started with a single back up the middle, before Megan Gist collected a walk. Megan Ward singled to load up the bases, setting up Abby Ehrenborg. Ehrenborg singled to shallow center field, scoring Weekly and Gist to tie the game at 2-2.
The Colonials and Flyers traded scoreless frames until the bottom of the ninth. Bloomfield singled down the left field line, followed by a Linquist walk to set up A-10 Player of the Year, Jenna Cone, who dropped one into left field to load the bases. Sierra Lange grounded into a double-play to quiet the GW momentum, and Alessandra Ponce was intentionally walked to again load the bases. Williams lined an RBI shot past the diving shortstop for the go-ahead run, scoring Linquist from third to force the if necessary game two.
Lange pitched nine innings allowing two runs with four strikeouts and one walk. Kelsey Gumm got the start for the Flyers, giving up two runs and three hits, before giving way to Sarah Bailitz. Bailitz pitched the final five innings, scattering five hits with just one earned run, but allowing six walks.
With the win, the Colonials and Flyers each have one loss in the Championship, forcing the final win-or-go home contest.