WASHINGTON – La Salle softball traveled to the nation's capital to open conference play against George Washington this weekend, dropping three games in the series before returning home. Junior Michelle Hagarty blasted a two-run homerun in the third inning of the second game Saturday's double header. 
 
GAME 1
In the first game of the series, La Salle freshman Marlo Roadcap held the Colonials scoreless through the first two frames, striking out two.  In the bottom of the third, George Washington's Morgan Rinehart drew a one-out walk. On the next at-bat, Megan Linn drove an RBI triple to right center field, bringing in Rinehart for the first tally of the game.  Later in the inning, Alana Anderson doubled to left center, bringing home Linn, to give the Colonials an early 2-0 lead. 
 
George Washington added two additional runs in the bottom of the fourth and had two runners on in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore McKenzie Peace took the mound in relief. 
 
The Explorers threatened in the fifth with two runners on in a one-out situation, but George Washington's Sarah Costlow got out of the bind forcing an infield fly and a ground out to end the inning.
 
The Colonials would add a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth and finish the game with the 6-0 victory.   Peace held the Colonials to one hit and no runs in 1.2 innings of relief pitching.
 
GAME 2
The Explorers jumped on George Washington's Sarah Costlow early as junior Michelle Hagarty led off Saturday's first game with a double to right field.  Hagarty moved to third on an infield single by sophomore Angelina Refice, but both were stranded as Costlow struck out the next two batters and retired the third on an infield fly.
 
After giving up a run in the bottom of the first frame, the Explorers capitalized on Colonials errors as two hits, one walk and three errors led to three La Salle runs in the third inning. 
 
George Washington responded in the bottom half of the frame with a run off an RBI double by Macchiarulo, cutting La Salle's lead to 3-2 entering the fourth inning.
 
The Explorers would plate one more run in the fifth to extend the lead to 4-2 when senior Erica Reis singled to right field. Emma Schweigert reached on a one-out single and was able to score on Reis' single thanks in part to an error on the Colonial's right fielder.
 
George Washington plated four runs in the fifth, three of which were unearned, to regain the lead from La Salle and hold on for a 6-4 win.
 
May Cate Scott was charged all six runs in the game, pitching 5.2 innings and suffering her first loss of the season. 
 
GAME 3
Michelle Hagarty blasted a two-run homerun in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead during the second game Saturday's double header.  The Explorers plated a third run in the top of the sixth but eventually fell to the Colonials, 6-3.
 
Sophomore McKenzie Peace threw 4.1 innings in the loss, giving up 7 hits and six runs.  Junior Val Buehler came in in relief giving up only one hit and no runs in 1.2 innings.

La Salle will play its home opener on Saturday, April 2, hosting conference-rival Saint Louis in the first two games of a three game stand.  The first game is slated for 12 p.m. at West Campus Field on La Salle's campus.