April 9, 2005
Box Score
The George Mason baseball team matched a season-high with six errors on Saturday and those mistakes marred a record-setting day for Mason senior Stacen Gant as UNC Wilmington won the second game of a three-game series, defeating the Patriots 10-4.
The two teams face again on Sunday at 1 p.m. as Mason will try to avoid being swept at home. The Patriots were last swept at home in a three-game series by Richmond in April of 2001. This is the first time Mason has lost a series at home since April of 2002 when James Madison took two of three from the Patriots. Brent Hitz (3-1, 2.75 ERA) takes the mound for Mason while Jeff Moore (2-0, 3.09 ERA) gets the start for the Seahawks.
Gant pitched superbly on Saturday but was saddled with the loss after allowing six runs, just one of which was earned. Gant struck out a season-high 11 batters, moving him into first place on Mason's all-time career strikeout list. He now has 199 strikeouts in his four-year career, moving him past Derek Ashcraft, who had 196. John Raynor was the victim of No. 197 as Gant remains one win shy of tying Jamie Campbell for the career victories record of 23. Gant remains first all-time at Mason in career winning percentage (.786).
The Seahawks struck first for the second straight day as Jonathan Batts walked with two outs in the fourth, Raynor reached on an error by third baseman Chris Fournier and both scored on a Matt Poulk double. Mason retaliated with a run in the bottom of the fifth as Adam Innerst doubled, went to third on a Jimmy Freund ground out and scored on a Taylor Youngs sacrifice fly.
The score went to 3-1 when UNC Wilmington pushed one across in the sixth. Lee McLean and Tim Preston led off the inning with singles and Batts walked to load the bases. Raynor then struck out to give Gant the record, and the senior righthander then induced a Poulk to hit a sacrifice fly before striking out Kenny Smith to end the threat.
In the bottom of the sixth, Matt Cooksey led off with a home run to once again make it a one-run game, but that was the closest Mason would get. The eighth saw McLean reach on an error to lead off the inning, and with one out, Batts reached on catcher's interference. Raynor was hit by the next pitch and Gant's day was done. Reliever Jason Mills entered the game and he allowed Poulk to single to center to score McLean and Batts. Raynor came in on the play when centerfielder Matt Cooksey bobbled the ball and Poulk went to second. Smith followed with a triple to plate Raynor and Smith was awarded home when the umpires ruled that Fournier interfered on the play. Mason reliever J.J. Pannell finished the inning, getting a fly out and a strike out to end the threat.
The Patriots didn't give up, however, as Matt York led off the eighth with a double, went to second on a wild pitch and after walks to Chris Looze and Chris Fournier, scored on a sacrifice fly by Robby Jacobsen. But those were all the runs Mason could manage in the frame. Both teams scored in the ninth but the game had already been decided.
Gant finished the day with six hits, two walks, one earned run and 11 strikeouts in seven and one-third innings. He lost for the first time in 2005, dropping to 6-1. Zach Kimball earned the win, improving to 4-3. He went seven innings, allowing two runs, both earned, on five hits and one walk while striking out four. Smith was 3 for 5 for the Seahawks while Poulk was 2 for 4 with five RBI. McLean and Preston each had multiple hits in the game. Mason's Matt York was 2 for 5 while Jimmy Freund was 2 for 4.
