Ana Gold hit a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to key Duke to a 2-1 win over George Mason in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The win advances Duke into tomorrow’s winner’s bracket game against Charlotte, while dropping GMU into the loser’s bracket, where they’ll play Campbell in an elimination game.
It certainly wasn’t easy for the top seeded Blue Devils, who struggled to get the big hit against George Mason starter Aly Rayle, a former Virginia pitcher.
Duke manufactured a run in the bottom of the second. Clean-up hitter Gold led off with a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a fly ball to left and scored on another fly ball to left, Claire Davidson getting credit for the sac fly and RBI.
Small ball 101.
“That’s our typical way of scoring,” Young said. “We do a lot of move-em, score-em in practice and the mentality to pass the bat from one hitter to the next.”
Kelly Torres followed with a two-out walk and advanced to third on a Jada Baker double, off the left-field wall, inches from a home run. Kamryn Jackson was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. But pinch-hitter Kristiania Watson struck out swinging, stranding three.
A pair of two-out singles and a stolen base in the bottom of the third amounted to nothing, as Duke stranded both.
That’s five runners left on base in consecutive innings, four in scoring position.
Duke missed its chance to knock out the visitors.
“I just looked to my teammates,” Rayle said. “They were making great plays on defense all game so I wasn’t feeling the pressure.”
“We’ve got to figure out ways to adjust to the pitching a little bit better,” Young acknowledged. “But it helps us to be able to play the short game.”
Duke starter Jala Wright worked her way out of early jams.
“We had some opportunities throughout the game to capitalize offensively but just didn’t come up with the big hit at that point in time,” George Mason coach Justin Walker said.
George Mason got the equalizer in the top of the fifth, a single, a two-out walk and another single tying the game at 1-1
Lillie Walker replaced Wright with runners on the corners and two out and got out of the jam.
GMU threatened again in the top of the sixth, putting runners on first and second, with two outs. Freshman Cassidy Curd came in with a 2-2 count on Charlotte Montgomery and fanned her on one pitch.
Gold led off the bottom of the sixth and fell behind 1-2.
Then, boom.
“It was just a case of I had two strikes on her and I should have put that change-up a little lower,” Rayle said.
Gold’s take? “I wasn’t trying to hit the ball out, just barrel the ball and if it goes, it goes. Just looking for anything over the plate with two strikes.”
George Mason went 1-2-3 against Curd in the seventh and that was a wrap.
Young said using three pitchers in the opener was not a problem.
“That first game, getting the nerves out, getting out there, was a really good job by all three of them and that will put them in a good spot for tomorrow.”
A “little bit of jitters” according to Gold, who is a sophomore.
Hopefully, no jitters tomorrow.
“Real excited to get the first win under the belt,” Young summed up. “Looking forward to our next matchup, tomorrow.”