April 20, 2005

Box Score

After struggling at the plate through the first eight games of a nine-game homestand, the George Mason baseball team took to the field on Wednesday against Navy looking to generate some offense in advance of a Colonial Athletic Association series at Virginia Commonwealth. The Patriots seem to have found their stroke as they pounded out 20 hits in a 14-1 win at Spuhler Field in Fairfax.

Tyler Wingerd allowed just one hit in five innings to improve to 2-0 on the season. Chris Fournier hit a pair of home runs to drive in five runs and four Mason relievers combined to not allow an earned run in the final four innings as Mason improved to 9-9 all time against Navy.

The Patriots (22-11) led off their half of the first with seven straight hits resulting in six runs and a comfortable lead. Matt York, Matt Cooksey and Chris Looze all singled to load the bases and Robby Jacobsen doubled to make it 2-0. Chris Fournier followed with a three-run homer, his fourth of the year. Casey Slattery doubled and Adam Innerst singled to put runners on the corners before Mike Genovese grounded into a double play, scoring Slattery and clearing the bases.

Mason added a run in the second when Matt Cooksey reached on a one-out error, stole second, went to third on a balk and scored on Chris Looze's ground out. Looze had hit safely in his previous five at-bats prior to the second-inning ground out. In the third, Fournier led off with a single, Slattery was hit by a pitch and Innerst singled home Fournier to make it 8-0. After Genovese grounded into his second double play of the game, Tyler Youngs singled deep to third base to score Slattery to make it 9-0.

The lead grew to double figures in the fourth when Jacobsen hit a one-out single and Fournier followed with his second home run of the game to make it 11-0.

Navy (9-25-1) finally scored a run in the sixth against reliever Jared Petrovich. Trevor Thompson reached on an error with one out and eventually scored on Jonathan-Matthew Johnston's single to right, the second hit of the game. Mason got that run back, and then some, in the bottom of the sixth, as Brett Pomykala led off the inning with a double, Fournier walked and Adam Innerst drove home Pomykala with a single. Fournier went to third on the play and scored on a wild pitch to make it 13-1. Matt York made it 14-1 in the seventh when he led off with a triple and scored on a Looze sacrifice fly to deep right.

Mason is in action again this weekend when it plays at VCU. Game times are Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.