April 30, 2003
Box Score
BETHESDA, MD ... Georgetown scored four runs in the third inning and six in the third to break the game open, then held off a late George Mason rally to defeat the Patriots, 17-14, in a non-conference college baseball game Wednesday at Shirley Povich Field.
Georgetown improved to 12-32 with the victory, while George Mason fell to 26-15.
George Mason jumped to an early 3-1 lead as sophomore Chris Looze (2-6, three runs batted in) hit a two-run home run in the first inning and senior Evan Howard (2-5, 4 RBI) had a run-scoring single in the third. But Georgetown put four runs across in the third and added six in the fourth to take control at 11-3. Robert O'Hare (3-5, 3 RBI) capped the third inning with the first of his two home runs on the day, a two-run shot to right-center field, while the Hoyas managed just three hits and took advantage of four Patriot errors in the fourth.
Looze hit his second homer of the day, increasing his team-leading total to 12, in the fifth inning, but Billy Quinn (3-6) hit a two-run homer in the fifth and the Hoyas added another run in the sixth for a 14-4 advantage. Mason battled back with four unearned runs in the seventh, with sophomore Matt Cooksey (four RBI) contributing a three-run triple, to cut the margin to 14-8, but Georgetown scored its final three runs in the bottom of the inning as O'Hare and Ron Cano (2-4, 3 RBI) each had solo home runs.
The Patriots made it interesting in the top of the ninth as they scored six runs, but the final margin of 17-14 was as close as they would get. Howard finished off the scoring with a three-run double, expanding on his Mason record with the 56th of his career.
Eduardo Pena (1-6) pitched six solid innings to pick up the win for Georgetown, while freshman Jason Mills (2-1), the first of five Patriot pitchers, allowed nine runs (five earned) on five hits in three-plus innings to take the loss.
George Mason visits George Washington at Barcroft Park in Arlington, VA, on Thursday at 3 p.m. (game was added this week). The Patriots' contest at Coppin State on Saturday has been cancelled, and Mason will travel to Richmond for a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series at Virginia Commonwealth this weekend, meeting the Rams in a doubleheader Sunday at 6 p.m. and a single game Monday at 1 p.m. at The Diamond.
