By Lindsay Regruto

Staff Writer

The softball team traveled far and wide over spring break to the George Mason Tournament in Virginia, where they went 2-3, and the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, where they went 2-6.

The Orange and Blue got off to a rocky start in the George Mason Tournament on Friday with a 5-1 loss to Binghamton and a 3-0 loss to Cornell later that day. Alison Ford ’11 singled with two outs in the third and was brought home on back-to-back walks for Bison’s only run against the Bearcats.

Day two of the tournament saw another pair of losses, 3-0 to Cornell and 1-0 to Binghamton. The Orange and Blue defense held the Big Red to three runs, but a strong pitching game by Cornell held the Bison scoreless for a close loss.

“I think our spring break trip really allowed us to continue working on some of the things that we’ve been struggling with,” Jessie Snyder ’11 said. “A lot of the girls really stepped up and it helped us come together even further as a team.”

Against Binghamton, the Bearcats were the first to put a run on the board. Lauren Fry ’11 ended the offensive dry spell in the fourth with a single up the middle but was left on base. The Orange and Blue loaded the bases twice in the fifth but again could not bring anyone around.

The Orange and Blue turned the tournament around Sunday defeating Cornell 4-1 and George Mason 3-1. Against the Big Red, the Bison racked up a season-high 11 hits. George Mason proved a tougher opponent for the Orange and Blue. Fry broke up the scoreless game in the fifth and eventually scored off a single by Ford. Fry had three two-base hits for a career total of 31 tying her for fifth in the program’s all-time record. Snyder doubled to center field to bring in two more runs in the sixth and a win over the Patriots.

Heading to Orlando, the team opened the Rebel Spring Tournament on March 15 with a pair of losses, 5-1 to Butler and 6-1 to Columbia. Sam Rollandi ’11 plated the Bison’s only run after a single by Meredith Dickson ’12. Butler scored twice in the first and again in the sixth to defeat the Bison. In the second game, Columbia took an early lead scoring in the first three innings. Caryn Connors ’14 was brought home in the fourth, but it would be the team’s only run.

The Bison split games on Wednesday, losing to Akron 8-6 and defeating St. Peter’s 8-0. The Orange and Blue were trailing 6-0 in the sixth against Akron when bats heated up. The Bison plated five runs, but the Zips answered with two runs in the seventh. Against St. Peter’s, Bridget Gates ’13 held off the Peacocks while the offense heated up. The Bison scored four runs in the third to bring the score to 5-0. Two more runs in the sixth ended the game early giving the Orange and Blue their first win of the tournament.

The Bison played again on Friday ending with a pair of losses to Green Bay 8-1 and Youngstown State 9-2. The Orange and Blue were the first to put a run on the board in the first inning against Green Bay. The Phoenix tied it in the second and pulled ahead for good in the third. Against Youngstown State, the Bison again gained a lead in the fourth but were unable to hold onto it. The Penguins tied it up later in the fourth and pulled ahead in the fifth.

The Orange and Blue split on the last day with a loss Fairleigh Dickinson 2-1 and a win over Hartford 3-1. The game against Fairleigh Dickinson remained scoreless until the sixth, when the Knights scored two runs. The Bison were only able to answer with one run. The Bison ended the tournament on a great note with a win over Hartford. Sophia Geraci ’14 went 3-3 at the plate, and Alex MacLean ’13 tied her season high of seven strikeouts.

The Bison will be back on the field tomorrow and Sunday at the Mount St. Mary’s Tournament in Emmitsburg, Md.