Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

Senior pitcher Lauren Butts worked out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the final inning as Siena Softball fended off Cornell 1-0 to earn its first victory of the season at the Cherry Blossom Classic in Fairfax, Virginia. Host George Mason received a two-out, RBI single from Brooke Sullivan in the home half of the sixth to rally past the Saints 2-1 in the second game.

Game One: Siena 1, Cornell 0
Butts went the distance in tossing her third career shutout and junior first baseman Madysen Cossack delivered a pair of doubles while scoring the decisive run to propel Siena (1-6) to its first victory of 2018. Butts struck out six while working around six walks and five hits as she stymied Cornell (2-4) which stranded 12 runners.

The Saints broke through in the top of the fourth inning for the game's lone run. Cossack opened the frame with a double to straightaway center, and was chased home on an RBI groundout by senior third baseman Paige Hess.

The Big Red threatened to draw even -- and perhaps even walk-off -- in their final at-bat in the bottom of the seventh inning as each of the first three Cornell batters reached base safely. But Butts induced a pair of fielder's choice groundouts to cut down the potential tying runs at home plate, before getting a third and final groundout to end the game.

Katie Lew was saddled with the tough luck loss for the Big Red despite allowing just four hits and the game's only run while walking three and striking out three in going the distance.

Game Two: George Mason 2, Siena 1
George Mason (6-7) pieced together back-to-back two-out hits in their final at-bat in the home half of the sixth to rally past Siena in the second game. Jess Cubiera doubled to right field, and Sullivan followed with the decisive RBI single as the Patriots rallied to win.

The Saints jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out RBI single from Hess to plate junior shortshop Jazmin Ortiz, who led Siena with two hits in the game. The run-scoring hit moved Hess into the top-10 in program history with 146 career hits.

But George Mason benefited from a pair of errors to scratch across the tying run in the fourth, before taking the lead in the sixth.

Sophomore hurler Maddie McMahon allowed just one hit and an unearned run over four solid innings of work while striking out three for the Saints.

Marina Vitalich secured the complete game victory in the circle for the Patriots, scattering five hits and one run while walking two and striking out five.

Siena concludes tournament play Sunday with rematches against both Cornell and George Mason. The Saints face the Big Red at 10 a.m., before squaring off with the host Patriots to wrap up the weekend at 2:30 p.m.