March 1, 2006
Box Score
The George Mason baseball team won its first home game of the season on Wednesday afternoon, as Mason snapped a three-game losing streak to beat Coppin State, 7-2 at Spuhler Field. Jason Bour and Scott Krieger each had a pair of hits, Casey Slattery homered for the second straight day, and Mike Modica earned the first win of his collegiate career.
Modica went six innings, allowing two runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts. He improved to 1-1 on the year and lowered his ERA from 30.86 to 10.80. Alex Hangland took the loss for Coppin State, allowing six runs, but only two of those were earned, over four-plus innings. Corey Greene was the lone Coppin State player with multiple hits. Mason is now 20-0 all-time against Coppin State.
For the second straight day, Mason (4-6) fell behind early. In the first, the Eagles got a lead-off single from Amiel Traynum, a sacrifice bunt from Michael Prats and a two-out single from Ryan Deakyne to make it 1-0. In the third, Coppin State (0-10-1) scored an unearned run on three Mason errors. With two outs, Prats reached on a fielding error by third baseman Matt York, stole second, went to third on a throwing error by catcher Robby Jacobsen and scored on a throwing error by centerfielder Spencer Wiggins.
But Mason didn't trail for long. Matt York reached on a throwing error to lead off the third and he went to third on Mike Genovese's double. Spencer Wiggins's sacrifice fly scored York and advanced Genovese and Robby Jacobsen's ground out tied the score at 2-2.
In the bottom of the fourth, Slattery reached second on an error, went to third on Bour's single and scored on Tyler Youngs' one-out single to left. Second baseman Graham Johnson made a fielding error on York's grounder to load the bases and Genovese's sacrifice fly to right made it 4-2.
The Patriots broke the game open in the fifth. Jacobsen singled to lead off the inning, stole second and scored on Krieger's single to center. That chased Hangland, but Kalif Person didn't do much better in relief. He committed a balk and then gave up a homer to Slattery on his first four pitches. That made the score 7-2 and put Mason on its way to the win.
The Patriots return to action this weekend when they open CAA play by traveling to William & Mary for games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Coppin State will play on Saturday in a doubleheader at home against Farleigh-Dickinson.
