STETSON, Fla. – The Sam Houston State softball team kicked off the 2020 season by splitting a pair of games at the Stetson Leadoff Classic Friday morning.

The Kats went extra innings in the first game of the season against George Mason to pull out the win, with Tiffany Thompson dealing the big blow in the top of the eighth to give the Sam Houston State the edge. Things did not go as well in the afternoon game against Boston University, as the Kats fell 9-3.

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The Bearkats continue play in the Stetson Classic on Saturday, facing George Mason for round two at noon and host Stetson at 5 p.m.

Game 1 • Sam Houston State 7, George Mason 6
The Bearkats got on the board first after a string of singles by junior Sheridan Fisher, sophomore Regan Dunn and junior Kayte Martinez loaded up the bases. Senior outfielder Megan McDonald would then earn her first RBI of the 2020 season, sending a single out to center field, advancing Fisher home.

SHSU scored another pair in the top of the third, after junior Brooke Malia singled to right field and catcher Bailey White hit a two-run homer down the left-field line. The Kats added one more in the top of the fifth, and two more in the top of the sixth with a two-run home run by senior Tiffany Thompson.

Sam Houston State led 6-0 before George Mason rallied for a comeback.

GMU would combine for four hits and six runs between the sixth and seventh innings, sending the game to extra innings and relieving starting pitcher Karina Sanchez, who tossed 6 2/3 innings with six hits and two strikeouts. Dunn (1-1) came in and pitched 1 1/3 innings with two hits and one strike out to earn the victory in the circle.

The Kats would take the game after Thompson's third hit of the morning, a single to left field, sent Martinez home to score the winning run in the top of the eighth.
 
Game 2 • Boston University 9, Sam Houston State 3
The Bearkats fell behind early in the first inning, after Boston got a quick 3-0 start. The Terriers would plate one more in the second before the Kats scored on an RBI single by sophomore Regan Dunn to cut the lead to 4-1.

Despite a 10-hit performance, Sam Houston had a hard time continuing with the momentum, as BU led as much as 8-1 before the Kats scored a run in the fifth on a single by freshman Ellie Grill and sixth when Dunn drew a walk with the bases loaded to make it 8-3.

Boston added another run in the top of the seventh to seal it.

Grill and sophomore Kyndal Kutac each had two hits in the contest. Seniors Megan McDonald and Tiffany Thompson,  junior Brooke Malia, senior Hunter Ervin and junior Maddie Weatherly all hit safely.