WASHINGTON – The Georgetown University softball team defeated the Providence Friars 3-1 in the series opener on Saturday afternoon at Nats Youth Academy despite falling 5-2 in the second game of the three-game BIG EAST series. The Hoyas scored off of a pair of home runs to get the victory. With the split record on the day, GU stands at 14-34 overall and 6-12 in the BIG EAST while Providence holds a 29-21 overall record and is 10-9 in the league.
 
Freshman Mae Forshey (Phoenix, Ariz. / Arcadia) led the Blue & Gray for the day with a pair of hits, including a double. Sophomore Savannah Jones (San Rafael, Calif. / Terra Linda) and junior Noelle Holiday (Bear, Del. / Red Lion Christian Academy) each recorded a home run. Additionally, freshman Kiki Besnard (Irvine, Calif. / Northwood) had a pair of hits and scored two runs for GU.
 
Sophomore London Diller (Sugar Land, Texas / George Ranch) got the start in the circle in game one. The sophomore threw a complete game and gave up one run off of five hits, walked one and struck out four batters.
 
The Friars wasted no time to get the bats going and brought in their first run in the top of the first inning off of their second batter. The opposing team had more opportunities to score in its first at-bat, but left a pair of runners on base as the inning ended. The Hoyas responded in the bottom of the inning with a home run to left field from Jones to tie it up 1-1.
 
The Blue & Gray took the lead in the second inning when Besnard landed on base with a hit to left field and advanced to second on senior Kelly Amen's (Hillsborough, N.J. / Hillsborough) sacrifice bunt. With senior Olivia Russ (Huntington Beach, Calif. / Ocean View) at the plate next, she hit back up the middle to score Besnard and give GU a 2-1 lead.
 
In the bottom of the third, Holiday advanced the Hoyas to 3-1 with another home run out of center field. Forshey followed up with a double, forcing a PC pitching change, but a quick two outs followed up to end the inning.
 
Neither team could bring in another run for the remaining four innings, leading GU to claim the 3-1 victory in the first game of the series.
 
In game two, freshman Cassie Henning (Atlanta, Ga. / Wesleyan) started in the circle and threw the first 4.1 innings. She allowed four runs off of eight hits, walked one and struck one batter out. Junior Katie Vannicola (Vienna, Va. / James Madison HS) finished the game and gave up one more run off of a pair of hits.
 
The Hoyas opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second with a pair of runs. With two runners on base, Henning landed a hit toward third, barely staying in fair territory, and beat the throw to first. Forshey scored the first run on the throw to first to take the 1-0 lead. Up next, Amen reached base on a fielding error by the Friars and scored Besnard to put GU up 2-0.
 
Providence responded in the top of the third with a pair of runs and made it even 2-2 off of a sacrifice fly and a passed ball. Back-to-back doubles in the top of the fifth put the Friars ahead 4-2. The Friars finished their rally with a home run in the top of the sixth and made it a three-run difference.
 
The Hoyas struggled to get the bats going in the final few innings and ended up dropping a 5-2 decision in game two.
 
The Blue & Gray will close out the regular season on Sunday in the series finale against the Friars. The teams will take the field at 2 p.m. at Nats Youth Academy. Live stats will be available at GUHoyas.com.