FAIRFAX, Va. – Lafayette used a two-run single from Julia Roman in the first inning and a strong pitching performance from Kinzi Van Wyk to secure a 2-1 victory in the series finale with George Mason on Sunday afternoon.
 
It was a breakthrough game for the Leopards in the series, having been within a strike of a win on Saturday and losing the first three games of the series by a combined five runs.
 
In the opening inning of the series finale, the Leopards generated all of the offense they needed. The first three batters drew walks and set the stage for Roman who drove in two runs.
 
In the circle, Van Wyk was efficient, scattering seven hits over seven innings. GMU finally got to her for a run in the bottom of the sixth. The senior was up to the task in the seventh, retiring the Nos. 9, 1, and 2 hitters in succession to end the game, the first time inning in the game that George Mason put a batter on base. Van Wyk struck out three and walked two in her third win of the season.
 
Erica Brasher had the Leopards' only other hit in the series closer, a single in the fourth inning.
 
In the first game on Sunday, George Mason scored seven runs over the first three innings to claim a 9-6 final.
 
The Leopards cut into the lead with four runs in the fifth inning, two scoring on wild pitches and two more coming plateward via Paige Sandidge's two-out, two-run single.
 
Lafayette gave back a pair of runs in the bottom half of the fifth, but scored two more in the seventh, one coming on an RBI-single from Kaya Ciccone-Cozart in the 9-6 final.
 
Kailee Sawai was the pitcher of record, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with five walks and a strikeout over 2.1 innings. Kaili Reitano threw the final 3.2 innings and gave up two runs on three hits with four walks and a strikeout.
 
The Leopards will have this week to prep for their spring break trip to Madeira Beach, Fla. on March 11-15. Lafayette will play seven contests at The Spring Games, facing Purdue, LIU, Western Michigan, Siena, Merrimack and Niagara.