Feb. 21, 2004

Box Score

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The George Mason baseball team continued its three-game season-opening road trip on Saturday afternoon and the Patriots maintained the hot start to the season, taking an 11-4 win over Marshall at Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

The Patriots have scored 23 runs in their first two games and on Saturday, they scroed eight in their final two at bats to improve to 2-0 on the year. Bruce Baldwin had his second homer of the season and the middle of the order produced seven of the team's 11 RBI.

The Patriots trailed early in the game after the Thundering Herd had two doubles in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead. The Patriots made it 2-1, though, when they scored without the benefit of any hits. A hit batter, walk and an error scored the first run and a sacrifice fly scored the second. George Mason made it 3-1 behind a Robby Jacobsen solo homer in the fourth.

That's how the score stood until bottom of the seventh when Adam Innerst hit a grand slam to make it 7-1. The inning started in a familiar fashion as Jeff Palumbo, who had five hits on Friday, led off with a single. Bruce Baldwin and Nick Shimer drew walks in the inning before Innerst's blast broke the game open.

The Patriots needed just one more inning from starter Stacen Gant. Gant allowed one run on two hits in the top of the eighth before giving way to Jason Mills. Gant struck out seven and walked just one in eight innings. He allowed six hits and both of the runs he surrendered were earned.

George Mason tacked on two more runs in the eighth, two on a Baldwin homer and two on a single by Matt Barrett. Jason Mills pitched the ninth for the Patriots, allowing a pair of Marshall (0-5) runs.

The Patriots (2-0) conclude their three-game set in Mt. Pleasant when they take on College of Charleston (4-0) at 2 p.m. Eric Gibbons is scheduled to start for the Patriots.