FAIRFAX, Va. – Lafayette dropped both of its first-round games on Saturday at the Cherry Blossom Classic, losing 6-1 to Marshall and 1-0 to host George Mason.  
 
The initial game was delayed 45 minutes because of rain. All of Marshall's scoring came in the middle innings with a run in the third, three in the fourth and two in the fifth. The Herd had three doubles off Lafayette starter Hannah Cook in the fourth inning, the final of those by Aly Harrell which scored two runs. Sierra Huerta connected for a solo homer to start off the two-run fifth for Marshall which pushed its season record to 16-5.
 
The Leopards broke into the scoring column in the top of the seventh. Paige Grover reached on an error and Maddie Wensel doubled her home with two outs in the inning.
 
Kailee Williamson (5-0) held the Leopards to two hits in the game, Wensel's RBI-double and a single by Natasha Miner to lead off the game. Williamson struck out seven and walked one while Cook (0-1) gave up six earned on 13 hits with three walks in her first start of the season.
 
Game two was a pitchers' duel with Kinzi Van Wyk turning in one of the best performances of her brief career, a three-hit effort which yielded just one unearned run. Her display was overshadowed by George Mason starter Bekah Ansbro who held the Leopards hitless over seven innings.
 
The only run of the game scored in the bottom of the first inning. Lafayette had its chances to get on the scoreboard in the top of the inning, putting runners on the corners with no outs following a Miner lead-off walk and an error by Ansbro. The junior pitcher recovered, enticing Brooke Wensel into a groundball double play before getting a 6-3 groundout to leave unscathed (despite two errors).
 
In the bottom of the first, Mason (3-7) took advantage of a Leopard miscue. The inning extended, Adriana Ericson tripled down the right field line on an 0-2 pitch with two outs for the 1-0 lead.
 
That would be all of the scoring for the game as Ansbro did not allow another baserunner over the final six innings and Van Wyk saw just three runners advance to scoring position over the balance of the game.
 
The Leopards' had the heart of their order up in the top of the seventh, sending No's. 3, 4, 5 in the batting order to the plate against Ansbro. She pitched a groundout to Brooke Wensel, struck out Maddie Wensel and then finished off her no-hitter by getting Erin Scott to ground out to third to end the game.
 
Lafayette (1-7) will play two more games on Sunday to close out the tournament, facing Monmouth at 2:30 p.m. and George Mason at 4:45 p.m.