WASHINGTON – The Georgetown University softball team split a pair on the first day of the Buff & Blue Challenge hosted by George Washington. The Hoyas defeated Stony Brook 4-3 in the first game of the day and later fell 8-7 in a heartbreaker to Oakland. With the 1-1 record on the day, GU stands 7-18 on the season while the Seahawks fall to 1-7 and the Golden Grizzlies move on to 5-6.
 
Sophomores Savannah Jones (San Rafael, Calif. / Terra Linda) and Macy Cartwright (Naples, Fla. / Naples) led the squad with three hits apiece, including a double from Jones, her seventh on the season. Freshman Kiki Besnard (Irvine, Calif. / Northwood) also landed a double, her seventh, and senior Kelly Amen (Hillsborough, N.J. / Hillsborough) recorded her first triple of the year. Additionally, senior Sarah Bennett (Owings, Md. / Northern) tallied a three-run homer against Oakland.
 
In game one, junior Anna Brooks Pacha (Houston, Texas / St. John's School) took the nod in the circle and allowed three runs off of three hits in 5.0 innings of work. Pacha walked three and struck out a pair. Sophomore London Diller (Sugar Land, Texas / George Ranch) finished out the game for the last 2.0 innings and allowed just one hit.
 
The Hoyas attempted to open up the scoring in the bottom of the first, but a sacrifice bunt attempt by Holiday to try and score Jones on third didn't work out as planned. Instead, the Seawolves were the first to score in the top of the fourth with a straight shot up the middle. Stony Brook then took a 3-0 advantage in the top of the fifth off of a two-run double.
 
Georgetown battled to fight back and Amen got it started for the Blue & Gray in the bottom of the fifth with a triple toward right center. Freshman Cassie Henning (Atlanta, Ga. / Wesleyan) then hit a hard single past the second baseman and scored Amen to make it 3-1. A few batters later and Henning on third, Cartwright reached first base on a throwing error and brought Henning in, putting the Hoyas down by one.
 
In Georgetown's next at bat, Holiday knocked one out of the park to tie it up at three. With both teams battling to find the game-winning run in the final inning, the Blue & Gray earned its final run in the bottom of the seventh. Junior Alexa Dolby (Round Hill, Va. / Woodgrove) started it off by reaching first on an error by Stony Brook's third baseman. Cartwright followed up with a bunt toward the pitcher and used her speed to outrun the throw. With Forshey up next, the rookie brought in the game winner with a hit to left field to score Dolby and seal the victory 4-3.
 
Diller took the nod in the circle for game two against the Golden Grizzlies and threw 6.0 innings. The sophomore allowed six runs off of six hits, walked six and struck out four. Henning relieved Diller for the last 0.2 innings and allowed a pair of runs off of two hits.
 
Georgetown started out strong in game one despite a 2-0 lead from Oakland in the top of the first. The Hoyas responded to the Golden Grizzlies' quick advantage with a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning. Jones started it off with a double to deep left field and Forshey advanced her to second when she walked to first. Bennett came up to bat next and blasted a three-run homer over the fence to take the lead.
 
The Blue & Gray continued its rally in the next inning when Besnard doubled to left field. Dolby followed suit and found the gap in right center to score Besnard, 4-2. Cartwright's quickness landed her on first base again when she outran the throw on a perfect bunt toward the pitcher and advanced Dolby to third. Jones then singled to center field to score Dolby, 5-2, and Cartwright scored another run for GU off of a sacrifice hit by Forshey to make it 6-2.
 
While the Golden Grizzlies struggled to get the bats going, the Hoyas scored another run in the bottom of the fourth when Jones landed a double off of an error by the outfield and brought in Dolby from second base to take a 7-2 advantage.
 
Oakland scored two more runs in the top of the sixth off of a two-run hit to center field and made it a three-run difference. In the top of the seventh, the Golden Grizzlies took back its lead and made it 8-7 off of a pair of hits. Unfortunately, the Hoyas could not fight back and dropped a decision in the final game of the day.
 
The Blue & Gray will continue the Buff & Blue Challenge on Saturday, March 16 with another pair of games against Oakland and Stony Brook. Georgetown will take on Oakland at 9 a.m. and Stony Brook at 11 a.m. Live stats will be available at GUHoyas.com.