SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Eastern Kentucky University softball team completes its second consecutive shutout victory to open the season, defeating George Mason by a score of 5-0 on Friday afternoon at the Wofford Invitational.
 
Freshman Victoria Byrum (1-0) earns the win in her collegiate debut, tossing 4.0 innings with two strikeouts.
 
Vianna Barron led the Colonels going 3-for-4 from the plate with two RBIs and one run scored.  Maddi Rutan, coming off a perfect game last night and two hits, followed her performance going 2-for-3 on Friday with one RBI.  
 
Senior Jeanay Riley was the third Colonel to record multi-hits, totaling two hits with one run scored.
 
Barron opened EKU's scoring effort with a single to right center in the top of the first, bringing in Kennedy Drafton.
 
Byrum closed the bottom of the second with her first career strikeout, fanning GMU's Jordan Ander.
 
In the top of the third, Barron brought in her second run off a double to the right gap, scoing Riley.  Rutan ended the frame scoring Barron off a single to right, pushing EKU's lead to 3-0.
 
Madison Scott added in the effort with a single, subsequently forcing George Mason into a throwing error that scored freshman Kaitlyn Wallis.  EKU took a 5-0 lead as Reese Knox brought Scott around the bases with a deep grounder in the six hole.
 
EKU's Lauren Narvaez made her season debut in relief in the bottom of the fifth.  Narvaez would keep the Patriots scoreless in 3.0 innings of work to keep the 5-0 shutout alive.
 
EKU (2-0) had nine hits and earned four walks in the win, holding the top three GMU (0-1) hitters in its lineup to 2-for-10 from the plate.
 
The Colonels return to action tomorrow in day three of the Wofford Invitational with a doubleheader against Robert Morris at 10 a.m. and a TBD opponent following the conclusion of game one.