March 13, 2005
The George Mason baseball team found itself locked in its second pitching duel of the week and for the second time Mason's starting pitcher came out of the contest with a win. Junior lefthander Brent Hitz pitched seven superb innings for Mason, allowing just one run and no walks on six hits while striking out four as he helped lead Mason to a 5-1 win over Fairfield at Spuhler Field in Fairfax. The Patriots finished off a three-game sweep of the Stags and have now won seven straight and nine of their past ten.
Robby Jacobsen provided all the runs necessary with a two-run home run. He also scored in a three-run eighth that provided Mason with insurance against a potential Fairfield comeback.
It was a classic pitching duel through the first five and a half innings until Jacobsen finally made Fairfield starter Sean Keegan pay for a mistake. Keegan left a pitch over the plate and Jacobsen took him deep to left field for his third home run of the season and second in two days, a two run shot that scored Adam Innerst. It was just the fourth hit of the day for Mason which had been held to two hits through the first five innings. Tyler Youngs had doubled in the second and Matt Cooksey had singled in the fifth. Innerst had the third hit of the day, a single to left just before Jacobsen's shot left the yard.
Fairfield responded with a run in the top of the seventh. Peter Allen pinch hit for the designated hitter David Soucy and he singled to center. Steve Ryback followed with a double to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Hitz then got Adam Chilelli to ground out, scoring Allen, and induced Mark Geanuleas to groundout on a close play to end the threat.
Mason added those insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth as Innerst led off with a single, Jacobsen doubled and Slattery was intentionally walked. Youngs then reached on a fielder's choice that scored Innerst and moved Jacobsen to third. Jimmy Freund followed with a double to center scoring both runners and making it 5-1.
Fairfield starter Sean Keegan allowed just two runs and five hits in his six innings of work, walking three and striking out none in the process. Ryan Hoffman relieved him in the seventh and went the final two innings. He was charged with the runs in Mason's three-run eighth. Jason Mills pitched the final two innings for the Patriots and he was perfect in earning his first save of the year.
Jacobsen and Innerst were the lone Patriots with multiple hits in the game. Jacobsen was 2 for 4 with a homer, a double and two RBI while Innerst was 2 for 4 with two runs scored.
Mason is in action again on Tuesday and Wednesday when the Patriots play at Coastal Carolina. Game times in those contests are set for 3 p.m.
