March 16, 2008
Box Score
Scott Krieger tied the George Mason school record for home runs in a game and the Patriots got another strong start, this time from Ryan Brecko as Mason beat Georgia State, 12-11 in Colonial Athletic Association action. Mason improved to 7-9, 4-1 while Georgia State fell to 10-7, 1-5.
Krieger was 3 for 4 in the game with three home runs and four RBI. He is the fourth player in school history to hit three homers in a game, tying teammate Justin Bour. He moved into sole possession of third place on the school's career home runs list with 35 in 119 games. He also moved into the school's top 20 in career RBI. Spencer Wiggins and Ryan Uphouse each had three hits while Chris Henderson and Ryan Soares each had two hits. Justin Bour had 19 putouts, two shy of tying the school record. Brecko (2-0) pitched into the sixth and allowed just a pair of meaningless unearned runs.
The Panthers struck first when Jean-Michel Rochon-Salvas singled, went to second on a walk, went to third on a double steal and scored on a ground out. Krieger got the run back in the bottom of the first when he hit a ball off the fists and over the left field fence to make it 1-1. In the bottom of the third, Mason sent to the top of the order to the plate and they got the Patriots a lead. Wiggins led off with a single, stole second by sliding under the tag, and scored on a Henderson double to left center. Krieger followed with a home run to second making it 4-1.
The inning continued as Bour walked, Soares singled up the middle and with one out, Aaron Tenny doubled down the right field line to bring home Bour. Uphouse's single through the left side brought home Soares and Tenny and made it 7-1.
Brecko, meanwhile, was cruising along. He retired 13 straight batters at one point before Mitch Rider hit a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left field in the bottom of the fifth to make it 7-2. In the sixth, though, Brecko got into trouble. A leadoff single, a one-out walk and an error loaded the bases. An unearned run scored on a ground out and another came home on a single to right to make it 7-4. That ended Brecko's day as he allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks in five and two-thirds innings. Shawn Griffith came on in relief and after allowing a walk, he struck out Rider to end the threat. He pitched into the ninth.
In the bottom of the inning, Mason got the runs back. Wiggins led off with a hit through the left side and Henderson followed with a home run over the batter's eye in center field, his second homer of the season. Krieger followed with a blast to left center that made it 10-4. Mason made it 11-4 in the seventh when Brent Weiss walked with two outs and scored on a Wiggins triple.
Georgia State scored an unearned run in the eighth when Bradley Logan reached on an error to leadoff the inning, went to second on a single and scored on a pair of groundouts. Krieger reached on an error in the bottom of the inning and later scored on a two-out hit by Mark Hill. Georgia State scored six in the ninth, three on a Logan home run, before Jason Koziol came on and picked up his second save of the year. Mason will take Monday off before playing a two-game home series with Marist. Game times on Tuesday and Wednesday are scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
