March 25, 2003
Box Score
FAIRFAX, VA ... Richmond scored six runs in the final three innings to pull away from George Mason and junior Matt McLoughlin struck out 13 while pitching a complete game to lead the nationally ranked Spiders to a 7-2 victory in a non-conference college baseball game Tuesday afternoon at Raymond H. "Hap" Spuhler Field.
Richmond (ranked 10th by Baseball America, 11th by Collegiate Baseball and 12th by USA Today/Sports Weekly) won for the 14th time in its last 15 games to improve to 19-2, while George Mason had a two-game win streak stopped as it fell to 10-9.
George Mason opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as sophomore Matt Cooksey walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Bruce Baldwin. Richmond tied the score in the fifth as freshman Alex Wotring was hit by pitch and, after junior A.J. Board pinch-ran, he went to second on a sacrifice bunt, to third on a balk and scored on a groundout by junior Bryan Pritz (2-4, two RBI). Mason regained the lead at 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth as consecutive one-out singles by junior Jeff Palumbo, Baldwin, sophomore Chris Looze (3-4) and junior Nick Shimer (2-4) plated one run, but Baldwin was thrown out the plate attempting to score.
Richmond scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 4-2 lead. Junior Adam Tidball (2-4) and Board opened the inning with singles and both moved up on a sacrifice bunt by junior Bobby LeNoir. Tidball tied the game as Pritz hit a double down the left-field line, then Board scored on a groundout by senior David Reaver (2-4) and Pritz came home on a single by freshman Ben Zeskind.
The Spiders capped the scoring with three more runs in the ninth as LeNoir and Pritz walked and Reaver loaded the bases when he reached as the Patriots failed to cover first base on a sacrifice bunt. Junior David Thomas singled to bring home one run and senior Vito Chiaravalloti's single brought home the final two.
McLoughlin (4-2) scattered 11 hits over the nine innings and set a career-high with his 13 strikeouts while walking just one batter. Mason senior John Sterling (2-2) matched him for much of the game as he allowed nine hits in seven innings, walking none and striking out five as he took the loss.
George Mason travels to Old Dominion this weekend to open its Colonial Athletic Association schedule. The Patriots and Monarchs meet Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Mason is back at home on Tuesday, April 1, against Coppin State at 2:30 p.m.
