FAIRFAX, Va. – Lafayette finished up its four-game weekend stint in the Cherry Blossom Classic, dropping 4-3 and 3-0 decisions to Monmouth and host George Mason on Sunday.
 
Paige Grover, who hit from the lead-off spot for the first time in 2019, responded with three of the Leopards' seven hits vs. Monmouth.
 
Monmouth (8-6) staked starter Lilly Robles to a 4-0 lead by the fourth inning, plating three in the third and one in the fourth. Amber Wozniak singled in two runs in the third.
 
The Leopards got things going with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth. Ellen McDonnell singled home a run. With the bases loaded, Hannah Lee doubled home two more runs before the potential tying runner, McDonnell, was cut down at the plate. Lee's double chased Robles from the game in favor of Antonia Browning who struck out Grover to end the rally with the Leopards trailing 4-3.
 
The Leopards threatened again in the fifth, putting Erica Hanson in scoring position with no outs, prompting another pitching change. Alyssa Irons worked two groundouts and used a strikeout to end the inning.  
 
Lafayette went down in order in the sixth, but in the seventh, put baserunners at second and third following one of Grover's three hits and a single up the middle by Hanson. Irons closed out the game, striking out Brooke Wensel and then finishing things by enticing Maddie Wensel to ground out.
 
Kinzi Van Wyk allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits in the loss. She struck out a career-high five batters and walked five. Irons, who threw the final three innings, secured the win, holding the Leopards to one hit in the span.
 
In the final game of the weekend, George Mason scored a pair of runs in the third inning on an error and a sac fly and added another in the fifth inning on an Alyssa Lawton RBI-single for the 3-0 final.  
 
Grover and Hanson each had a pair of hits in the tournament finale.
                                                  
Stacy Gordon pitched all six innings for the Leopards, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Her counterpart, Haellie Gordon, scattered five hits on four strikeouts in the circle victory.

Lafayette is slated to return to action on Wednesday in a doubleheader at