April 4, 2005

Final Stats

(April 4, 2005)--The George Mason baseball team didn't play all weekend because of the rain, but there was no evidence of rust as the Patriots jumped out to 4-0 lead after two innings, which is all they needed to defeat visiting Maryland-Baltimore County, 9-2. Mason, improving to 17-6 on the year, received production from top to bottom with seven players getting at least a hit and three players each with two RBI. Maryland-Baltimore County fell to 6-12.

The Patriots scored two runs in the first when Adam Innerst singled to left field off of starting pitcher Zach Clark, scoring Matt York, who reached base on a throwing error by third baseman Mark Lemon and Matt Cooksey, who reached first on a walk. Both runners advanced on a ground out by Chris Looze. In the second inning, Tyler Youngs, who was 3-for-4 from the plate, led off the inning with a single to left field. With one out Mike Genovese was on board safely after shortstop Steve Russo bobbled the ball. York singled to center, scoring Youngs and Genovese advanced to third. Cooksey singled and York advanced to second. Genovese scored on a Looze ground out to first.

The Retrievers got on the board in the third when Joe Fowler led off the inning with a solo homerun, the only hit off starting and winning pitcher Stacen Gant, who pitched three innings and improved to 6-0. Brent Hitz pitched the next three scoreless innings for the Patriots and walked only two batters.

Mason batters did some damage in the fifth inning off of pitcher Steve Evans, scoring three runs on only one hit. Looze started the inning with a walk and stole second. Robby Jacobsen was hit by a pitch. Casey Slattery drove in two runs with a double to center field then scored after Youngs reached first on a throwing error by Russo.

In the seventh, the Retrievers got their final run of the game, off of Mason's Eric Gibbons. Ian Carmen doubled to center field, scoring Tom Rinaldi, who had gotten on base with a single and scored from third after advancing to second when Alex Laddbush grounded out; and to third when Russo grounded out.

Mason scored two more insurance runs, one in the sixth and seventh innings to finish the game with nine runs on 10 hits. Looze hit a solo homerun in the sixth and Jimmy Freund singled to left field in the seventh scoring Youngs, who was aboard with a two-out double to left field. The Retrievers managed only three hits off of Mason five hurlers, two off Gibbons and one off Gant. J.J. Pannell and Jason Mills each pitched one scoreless inning.

Mason is in action next on Wednesday when it plays at local rival George Washington.