March 24, 2009

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason Patriots scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the University of Maryland baseball team, 6-5, Tuesday afternoon at Spuhler Field.

Maryland fell to 10-12 on the season while George Mason improved to 17-4 and remained unbeaten at home.

Maryland starting pitcher Brett Jones allowed two runs in the bottom of the first inning, but struck out two batters. The Patriots pushed across one run on a fielder's choice then added another on a two-out RBI double from second baseman Ryan Soares.

The Terps got one run back in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Terps catcher Mike Moss hit a potential double-play ball to third base. However, the throw from second to first was not handled cleanly by first baseman Justin Bour and Mike Murphy raced home from second on the error.

Unfortunately for the Terps, Soares struck again, hitting Jones' second pitch of the bottom of the fourth inning over the left-field wall to put George Mason back up by two runs, 3-1.

After missing out on some earlier scoring opportunities, the Terps broke through in the top of the sixth, plating three runs to take a 4-3 lead.

With one out, Murphy and Spessard singled with an A.J. Casario walk in between. With the bases loaded, George Mason starter Kevin Lingerman was relieved by Jason Koziol. Maryland countered with a pinch hitter, sending sophomore Curtis Lazar to the plate. Lazar drew a five-pitch walk to bring in a run and cut George Mason's deficit to one, 3-2.

Designated hitter Jensen Pupa followed Lazar's at-bat with a ground ball to first base. Bour fielded the ball cleanly and got the force-out at home. George Mason catcher Chris Henderson threw to Koziol covering at first to attempt the double play, but Pupa was ruled safe in a close call.

Center fielder Dan Benick took advantage of the situation, grounding a two-out, two-run single into right field to give Maryland its first lead of the game, 4-3.

The Terps threatened to break the game open in the top of the eighth inning, loading the bases with no outs. Pupa drove in one run with a sacrifice fly to left field, putting Maryland up 5-3. However, Benick followed Pupa with an inning-ending double play.

With a two-run lead in the bottom of the eighth, Maryland reliever Adam Kolarek seemed to be cruising on the mound. Kolarek retired the first two hitters in the eighth before allowing a single to Henderson. Kolarek was replaced by closer Dan Gentzler, but Gentzler could not get out of the inning unscathed.

Scott Krieger singled to right field and Bour drove in a run with a single up the middle, getting the Patriots within a run at 5-4. Two batters later, right fielder Shane Davis looped an opposite-field double to left field, barely eluding the glove of a diving Gerry Spessard, scoring two runs and giving the Patriots a 6-5 lead.

Gentzler eventually got out of the inning with no further damage, but a two-out, ninth-inning rally came up short against George Mason closer Ryan Brecko, who earned his sixth save of the season. Will Greenberg and Murphy delivered back-to-back singled with two outs, but Casario grounded out to Brecko for the final out.

Gentzler took the loss for the Terps, falling to 2-2 on the season. Shawn Griffith earned the win for the Patriots, improving to 1-0.

Maryland plays host to UMBC at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Shipley Field.

-TERPS-