Feb. 10, 2006

Box Score

Mobile, Ark. - The George Mason baseball team opened the 2006 season on Friday facing one of the toughest teams in the nation, and while they came away with a loss, the Patriots acquitted themselves quite well, falling to 20th-ranked Arkansas, 4-1 at the Jaguar Invitational in Mobile, Ala.

As was expected, Mason had strong pitching performances, with Eric Gibbons allowing just two earned runs in six innings while Billy Tinsley allowed just two hits in two innings. The question mark this season is how the offense will perform. On Friday, three freshmen made their collegiate debuts in the starting lineup and their performances should have Mason fans buzzing.

Spencer Wiggins and Scott Krieger each had two hits to account for all of Mason's offense while Brent Weiss reached base twice in three plate appearances.

Wiggins led off the game with an infield single. He was erased from the base paths by a Matt York grounder to short but York avoided the double play. The senior right fielder advanced to second on Robby Jacobsen's ground out and scored on Krieger's single to right. Wiggins and Krieger each doubled later in the game but there was no rally in the Patriots' bats.

Chris Roades earned the win for Arkansas, allowing just four hits and one run with five strikeouts in six innings. He didn't walk a batter. Trey Holloway pitched two scoreless innings and Daryl Maday earned the save with a perfect ninth.

Arkansas got all the runs it would need with two swings of the bat. The first swing was a solo home run by Blake Parker in the bottom of the second. Mason helped the Arkansas cause in the fifth when Chris Hollensworth walked, went to second on a sacrifice and scored on an error by Mike Genovese. The second swing was a Danny Hamblin home run to lead off the sixth.

The final run scored in the eighth when Clint Arnold singled, went to second on a groundout, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a Stephen Robison single.

The Patriots will be back on the field on Saturday afternoon when they take on host-school South Alabama. That game begins at 1 p.m.