March 4, 2008
Box Score
The George Mason baseball team used a pair of four-run innings including seven runs in the seventh and eighth to pull away from George Washington on Tuesday and earn a win in its first home game of the season. The Patriots beat the Colonials 14-7 at Spuhler Field.
Ryan Soares was 4 for 5 with four RBI, Justin Bour was 3 for 5 with five RBI and a homer and Scott Krieger, Spencer Wiggins and Aaron Tenney each had multiple hits. Mason's pitching trio of Trevor Rosenberg, Kris Mengle and Shawn Griffith limited George Washington's threats.
Mason scored first, putting two runs on the board with just one hit. Bour led off with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Soares double down the left-field line. Soares went to third on a Brent Weiss ground out and scored on a Ryan Davis ground out. Rosenberg continued to look sharp to start the third with a pair of strikeouts, but Tom Zebroski doubled and Charlie Kruer homered to make it 2-2.
Mason didn't waste time retaking the lead. In the bottom of the third, Tenny led off with a single off the leg of the pitcher. Wiggins was hit by a pitch and Chris Henderson's bunt was shallow enough that catcher Andrew Abokhair tried to get Tenney at third. His throw was late and the bases were loaded. Krieger doubled over the right fielder's head to make it 4-2 and after a Bour walk to once again load the bases, Soares singled up the middle to make it 6-5. A sacrifice bunt, a fly out and a pick off ended the Mason threat.
The Colonial once again got runs back in the top of the next inning. Abokair singled, Tim Reeves singled and Doug Eizen sacrificed to put runners on second and third. Gavin Swanson's ground out made it 6-3 and Matt Boyd's single to left brought the Colonials to within two. Boyd stole second and on his steal attempt of third, Henderson's throw to Hill went into left field making it 6-5.
Mengle relieved Rosenberg to start the fifth and after a scoreless top of the frame, Mason added a cushion to its lead. Krieger led off with a triple down the right field line that was inches from becoming his fourth homer of the year. Bour followed with a double down the right field line to make it 7-5. Soares' infield single put runners on the corner with no outs, but Soares was picked off, Weiss grounded out against a drawn-in infield and Davis flew out to center.
The Colonials put runs up in the sixth. Tim Reeves led off with a single and after a line out and strike out, Boyd and Rockey hit back-to-back singles to make it 7-6. In the seventh, with Griffith making his Spuhler Field debut, Kruer led off the inning with a home run to right to tie the game at 7-7.
Mason broke things open in the bottom of the frame against Chris Davis. With one out, Krieger was hit by a pitch and Justin Bour doubled to make it 8-7. Soares followed with his fourth hit and RBI of the game to make it 9-7. Weiss followed with a single and GW responded by bringing on Bobby Jones. After Jones struck out Davis, Hill followed with a deep double to left field to make it 11-7. Faizan Choudhry came on to get Tenney to pop out.
In the eighth, Mason added some insurance runs as Wiggins led off with a double, Krieger walked with one out and Bour hit his third home run of the season to make it 14-7. Griffith pitched the ninth to earn the win, his first in a Mason uniform.
The Patriots will return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Richmond to take on the Spider. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m. and Jack Zeltner is expected to get the start for Mason.
