April 10, 2005
Box Score
The George Mason baseball team fell to UNC Wilmington 8-0 on Sunday as the Seahawks swept Mason, outscoring the Patriots 29-14. The sweep was the first time Mason dropped a three-game series at home since 2001 when Richmond swept the Patriots. Jeff Moore was the biggest reason for Mason's loss on Sunday as the senior righthander pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just six hits and three walks while striking out eight. He escaped a bases loaded and one out jam in the ninth as UNC Wilmington remained unbeaten in Colonial Athletic Association action.
The Patriots dropped to 17-10, 5-4 on the season. They had won 12 straight at home dating back to 2004 before the Seahawks came to town. Mason will play five more games at home in the next 10 days as they will look to rebound from their worst performance at home in four year. It was the first time Mason lost a series at home to a conference foe since 2002. The Patriots surrendered double-figure runs to UNC Wilmington on Friday and Saturday. It was the first time Mason allowed an opponent to score 10 or more runs in a game in back-to-back games since 2000.
The Seahawks did their damage in the second when they scored five runs. Matt Poulk and Kenny Smith led off the inning with singles and freshman Shane French followed with a one-out three-run homer to give UNC Wilmington the lead. Michael Marbry followed with a single and Chris Hatcher doubled him home to make it 4-0. Marbry came across on a Tim Preston double to make it 5-0.
Mason starter Brent Hitz settled down after that, facing the minimum 15 batters over the next five innings, allowing just one walk and one batter to reach on an error until he was lifted for reliever Phil Stone after the seventh. Stone allowed UNC Wilmington to add on runs in the eighth and ninth, but they proved meaningless as Mason could not rally in the ninth.
Preston was 2 for 5 for the Seahawks while Poulk was 2 for 4. No Mason player had multiple hits and Matt Cooksey had his 12-game hitting streak snapped. He struck out in the eighth to snap a string of 33 plate appearances without a strikeout. The punchout moves him into a tie with Ralph Schmidt for career strikeouts (152).
This was the first shutout Mason has suffered at the hands of an unranked team since Virginia Commonwealth ended Mason's 2003 season, 3-0, in the CAA Tournament.
