May 18, 2006

Box Score

George Mason and Northeastern opened their three-game series on Thursday afternoon at Spuhler Field and what had the makings of a possible pitching duel quickly turned into a slugfest. Behind a pair of Mason errors, Northeastern made the most of their 13 hits, taking a 15-10 win over the Patriots at Spuhler Field. Northeastern's Adam Ottavino struck out nine in four and two-thirds innings of work, allowing just two runs on four hits before being lifted.

The Patriots drew first blood as they strung together three hits in the first inning. Robby Jacobsen reached on a bunt single, stole second and scored on Matt York's base hit. Scott Krieger followed with a single to right, but York was thrown out trying for third and after a walk to Casey Slattery, Jason Bour struck out to end the inning.

Bour's strikeout began a stretch in which Ottavino retired 11 straight batters. Upon reaching 80 pitches, Ottavino was lifted with two outs in the fifth. He departed with a comfortable lead thanks to a Northeastern home run and some poor Mason defense.

In the second Jeff Maher led off by reaching on a throwing error by Mason starter J.J. Pannell. Pannell then hit Josh Porter, allowed both runners to advance on a wild pitch and let Northeastern tie the game on a single to left by Arman Sidu. A fielder's choice by Brian Nutting made it 2-1 and Chris Emanuele's homer to let made it 5-1.

In the fourth, the Huskies got back-to-back singles from Nutting and Mike Lyon to lead off the inning and Pannell hit Emanuele to load the bases. Matt Morizio followed with a two-run single before being thrown out on the base paths. Emanuele then came home, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Mike Tamsin.

Eric Gibbons took the mound for Mason to start the fifth and he gave up a double to Maher to start the inning, as right fielder Ryan Uphouse misjudged the ball, allowing it to get over his head. With one out, Sidhu doubled to make it 9-1 and Lyon later tripled on a ball that Jacobsen misjudged in center field.

Those two misplayed balls would give Northeastern a cushion that would come in handy. When Ottavino was lifted after his 80th pitch, he departed the game with two outs and Tyler Youngs on first. Youngs had reached on a single to snap the streak of 11 straight retired. Morizio moved to pitcher and he struggled to get the third out of the inning.

Spencer Wiggins walked and Jacobsen singled to left to load the bases. Mason made it 10-2 on York's infield single and Scott Krieger's grand slam, his seventh homer of the season and first career grand slam, made it 10-6.

Northeastern got back on the board immediately against Gibbons, again with some help from the Mason defense. Morizio was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and with one out, York made a fielding error on Dan Milano's grounder. A ground out, which should have been the third out of the inning, moved both runners into scoring position, and Jeff Thomson followed with a single to center to make it 12-6.

Mason again was able to get on the board against Morizio, this time with the bottom of the order doing all the damage. Ryan Uphouse doubled down the left field line with one out and Youngs singled him home to make it 12-7.

Northeastern didn't need help from the Mason defense in the seventh. Nutting and Lyon drew one-out walks from Mike Modica and Morizio's two-out double to left brought them home to make it 14-7. The Patriots got those two runs back in the bottom of the frame as Jacobsen led off with a bunt single, his second of the game, and Krieger followed soon after with a two-run homer. Jeff Maher made it a six-run game with his solo homer in the top of the eighth.

Mason got its final run in the bottom of the eighth. Wiggins drew a one-out walk, Jacobsen doubled to left and York's grounder scored Wiggins.

Sidhu had three hits for Northeastern while Lyon and Morizio each had two hits. For Mason, Jacobsen had four hits, Krieger had three hits and Bour, Uphouse, York and Youngs each had two. Mason had more hits than Northeastern, but Patriot pitchers allowed four walks, hit three batters and threw three wild pitches.

The two teams will meet again on Friday when the square off at 2 p.m.