Krieger's Ninth-Inning Blast Lifts Mason to 6-5 Win Over Brown :: Patriots have won four of five heading into weekend series with ODU

March 27, 2008

The George Mason baseball team surrendered a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to allow Brown to tie the game but Scott Krieger led off the bottom of the inning with his 10th home run of the season, and first walk-off homer of the year as the Patriots beat Brown 6-5. Mason has now won four of five and is 10-11 on the year. Brown fell to 6-8.

Ryan Soares, Josh Steinberg and Brent Weiss each had two hits and Justin Bour was 2 for 4 to raise his season average to .427.

Mason batted around in the second inning scoring four times but failing to capitalize on an even bigger inning. Things started with a Justin Bour double and Mark Hill's one-out single made it 1-0. Shane Davis' infield hit and Josh Steinberg's walk loaded the bases and Brent Weiss singled through the left side to make it 2-0. Spencer Wiggins was hit by a pitch to force in another run and Chris Henderson singled to make it 4-0. Scott Krieger came up with the bases loaded and he hit a liner to second baseman Ryan Zrenda. The runners stayed close to their respective bases on the play so when Zrenda dropped the ball, he had plenty of time to turn a double play and end the inning.

Zrenda turned around and scored the Bears' first run in the fourth when he singled, went to third on pitcher Josh Rosenberg's throwing error when he tried to pick him off, and scored on a wild pitch. Brown made it 4-2 in the fifth when Nick Greskoff got his first hit of the season, a solo homer to left. In the sixth, Zrenda led off with a walk, went to second on a Conor Reardon single and scored on a Robert Papenhause double to right, making it 4-3.

Mason got some separation in the bottom of the seventh when Krieger drew a one-out walk, Bour singled to put runners on the corners and Soares' sacrifice fly brought home Krieger to make it 5-3. In the ninth, Brown was able to finally tie the score. Greskoff reached on an error to lead off the inning, Matt Colantonio followed with a single and Ryan Murphy beat out a bunt to load the bases. Brown scored on a double play ball to make it 5-4. Matt Nuzzo then singled to make it 5-5.

The Patriots will be in action all weekend as they host Old Dominion in a three-game conference series. The Patriots are currently in third place in the CAA with a 6-2 record while ODU is fifth at 5-4.