How It Happened
On a day where pitching dominated, Rhode Island's Katie Zaun pitched a complete-game shutout to help the Rams earn a doubleheader split at George Mason Saturday afternoon. The host Patriots took the opener 3-0 before Rhode Island (6-16, 3-2 Atlantic 10) came back to take the second game, 1-0.

Game 1 - George Mason 3, Rhode Island 0
George Mason's Aly Rayle twirled her second no-hitter of the season as she shut down the Rhody offense in the first game. Rayle struck out 11 batters and did not walk any as she was dominant throughout. Her only blemishes were three hit batters, as she plunked Vicki Viaclovsky three times.

The Patriots (16-11, 3-2 A-10) manufactured a run in the bottom of the first when Marlaina Bozek led off by getting hit by a pitch. She stole second and moved to third on a throwing error on the play. With one out, Haley Taormina singled to bring Bozek home for a 1-0 Patriot lead. Taormina struck again in the third inning with a two-out single that drove in Charlotte Montgomery to push the lead to 2-0. A run-scoring single by Rachel Warrens capped the scoring.

Game 2 - George Mason 0, Rhode Island 0
Sophomore Katie Zaun (1-6) dominated from the start, shutting George Mason down. She allowed just five hits while striking out nine batters for the shutout.
 
George Mason loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Rachel Warrens reached on a catcher's interference call, and Maddie Myers and Zoe Vozick followed with back-to-back singles. Zaun battled back, striking out Marlaina Bozek and getting Alena Ball to fly out to end the threat.

In the next half inning, the Rams took advantage of one of the day's few miscues. Cassie Swenson reached on an error to start the inning, and she moved to second on a groundout. After a flyout, Skyler Rapuano came through with a looping single that just eluded the diving attempt of centerfielder Charlotte Montgomery, allowing Swenson to score the first run of the game.

The lead held up, as Zaun retired five of the last six batters she faced.

Inside the Box Scores

• Rhode Island has a winning record through its first five Atlantic 10 games for the first time since 2014.
• Last season, the Rams did not get their sixth win until the 29th game of the season.
• The no-hitter against URI in the first game was the first since James Madison's Alissa Humphrey did so on March 14, 2021.
• Senior Liz Lynchard (4-5) took a tough-luck loss in the first game, thanks to Aly Rayle's no-hitter. Lynchard allowed just three runs over a complete-game 6.0 inning effort. She struck out nine batters without a walk.
• Sophomore Katie Zaun struck out a season-high nine batters, and she recorded the first seven outs in the second game via strikeouts.
• For the season, she has 45 strikeouts and 13 walks in 45.0 innings of work.
• Senior Skyler Rapuano singled and drove in Rhody's lone run of the day.
• Junior Vicki Viaclovsky reached based by getting hit by a pitch in all three of her plate appearances in the first game.
• Senior Jessica Hennelly had Rhody's first hit of the day with a single in the second inning of the second game.
• Hennelly also had a diving catch of a line drive in left field during the first game.
• Sophomore Leilyn Alvarez had a double in the second game.
• Senior Rachel Zingerman and freshman Becca Zawistowski each had a single in the second game.

What's Next
Rhode Island and George Mason meet for a single game to complete the series Sunday at 11 a.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.