Feb. 29, 2004

Box Score

Columbia, S.C. - The George Mason baseball team is unbeaten no more, but on Sunday afternoon, it showed that it is ready to compete with some of the nation's best.

The University of South Carolina Gamecocks, ranked in the top-10 in both national polls, ended the Patriots' winning streak, defeating George Mason, 5-0 at Sarge Frye Field at Columbia, S.C.

The Patriots (5-1) gave up three runs in the bottom of the fourth with a pair coming on a home run by Brendan Winn. The Gamecocks added single runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth as insurance against a George Mason comeback.

It was one of South Carolina's weakest offensive outputs of the season. The Gamecocks, ranked sixth by Collegiate Baseball and seventh by Baseball America, had previously topped 20 runs in a game on three occasions and entered the contest batting .406 as a team with three home runs per game. The Patriots held them to .303 hitting in the game and just one home run.

George Mason starter Eric Gibbons looked sharp early, allowing just one hit in the first three innings and retiring the first two batters in the fourth. That's when the Gamecocks struck. Landon Powell singled and Winn homered to make it 2-0. Kevin Melillo tripled and Tommy King doubled to make it 3-0.

Gibbons settled back down, allowing just one hit in the next two innings, before a single, sacrifice bunt and single in the seventh made it 4-0. Gibbons lasted seven and one-third innings, allowing nine hits and no walks while striking out four. He was tagged with all five earned runs in the contest. Mike Puckli pitched the final two-thirds of an inning, allowing one hit while striking out one.

South Carolina lefthander Matt Campbell scattered five hits and struck out 11 in eight innings to earn his second win of the year. Campbell struck out seven of the first 10 batters that he faced and added four more before leaving after eight innings. Chad Blackwell retired the Patriots in order in the ninth inning and added two strikeouts to give the Gamecocks 13 for the game and 112 in 79 innings over the first nine games of the season.

Campbell went to three balls on only three batters and did not issue a walk. Gamecock pitchers have walked only 12. The shutout was the fifth in nine games and lowered the South Carolina pitching staff earned run average to 1.25.

The Patriots play one more road game before they open up the home portion of their schedule. They travel to Virginia Tech on Thursday for a 3 p.m. contest and then finally play in front of the home crowd on Saturday and Sunday with three games against Canisius.