March 5, 2006

Box Score

Williamsburg, Va. - George Mason starting pitcher Brent Hitz allowed two runs on five hits, while striking out seven and walking one in eight-plus innings, as the Patriots won a the rubber match of a three-game CAA series with a 7-2 win over William and Mary on Sunday. The Patriots improved their record to 6-7, 2-1 in the CAA, while the Tribe falls to 5-7, 1-2 in the CAA.

Hitz improved to 2-1 as he baffled the Tribe offense, holding the College hitless through the first three innings until allowing a leadoff single in the fourth. He entered the ninth inning with a three-hit shutout before allowing two runs on three hits. Tribe starter Sean Grieve was charged with the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in two innings. He struck out one and walked two as he falls to 0-1 on the year.

Mason got the only runs it would need in the second as it pushed three across. Matt York lifted a towering, one-out double off the wall in left, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Tyler Youngs's groundout to second. After a walk to Brett Pomykala, freshman shortstop Brent Weiss blasted a triple to the gap in right center, scoring Pomykala easily to up the lead to 2-0. Weiss came in on the next pitch when Grieve uncorked a wild pitch to widen the gap to 3-0.

The Patriots increased the lead to 5-0 in the third as centerfielder Robby Jacobsen hit a solo homer, his third of the year, and first baseman Scott Krieger doubled to left and later scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Jason Bour.

While the Patriots were scoring in bunches, Hitz kept the Tribe off balance, as he retired seven straight Tribe batters until allowing the first hit, a leadoff single by second baseman Bryan Morosky in the fourth. Hitz retired the side in order four times over the course of his eight innings.

Mason added two more in the fifth to open up a 7-0 lead, but that would be all it would get as the combination of Tribe relievers Paul Knackstedt, Joe Mante and Joe Roenker held the Patriots hitless through the final four innings. Mason's final two runs came in the fifth when Bour and York led off the inning with hits, Bour scored on a passed ball and York scored on a Weiss double.

Down 7-0, the Tribe finally got to Hitz in the bottom of the ninth. Morosky led off with a single to center and moved to third on a double by first baseman Jeff Lunardi which chased Hitz from the game in favor of Jordan Flasher. Flasher recorded the first out of the inning when third baseman Greg Sexton popped out, but then gave up a single to center by pinch hitter Mike Sheridan, scoring Morosky and Lunardi. Robbie Nickle kept the rally going when he drew a walk, but Paul Juliano ended the threat when he grounded into a game-ending double play.

Mason finished with nine hits as York led the way with three in five at bats. Weiss went 2 for 4 with two runs batted in. For the Tribe, Morosky and catcher Brent McWhorter both had two hits. After opening the season without a hit in his first 27 at-bats and mired in a 1 for 36 slump, York has since gone on a tear, batting .500 in the series (6 for 12) and raising his season average from .028 to .146.

Mason returns to action on Wednesday when the Patriots host George Washington at 1 p.m. The Patriots next play in the CAA when they travel to Old Dominion next weekend for a three-game series with games set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.