May 4, 2008

Box Score

Wilmington, N.C. - The George Mason baseball team gave up four runs in the fourth and three runs in the fifth and the offense couldn't come alive in the late innings as the Patriots dropped the rubber match of a three-game series at No. 24 UNC Wilmington, falling to the Seahawks, 8-3. Despite the loss, Mason has clinched a spot in the CAA Tournament, which opens on May 21 at Brooks Field in Wilmington.

The Patriots (25-23, 15-10) can do no worse than finish sixth in the CAA despite dropping the final two games to the Seahawks (35-11-1, 20-3-1). The top six teams qualify for the conference's postseason tournament. Mason clinched one of those spots late on Saturday when Delaware beat Georgia State. Josh Steinberg had three hits for the Patriots while Chris Henderson, Mark Hill, Scott Krieger, Ryan Soares and Brent Weiss also had base knocks. Justin Bour was hitless to see his average fall below .400 for the first time since March 25, when he began the day hitting .387. He also failed to reach base safely for the first time all season after having had a hit or a walk in the season's first 47 games.

In the first, Bobby Leeper reached on a leadoff walk, went to second on a sacrifice fly and scored on a Mark Carver double down the leftfield line. Mason tied the score in the second when Scott Krieger was hit by a pitch, went to third on a Josh Steinberg single up the middle and scored when Mark Hill grounded into a double play.

In the fourth, UNC Wilmington took advantage of the first error in more than 28 innings. Carver reached on a leadoff walk and Nate Hall attempted to advance the runner with a sacrifice bunt. He sent the ball sharply to Justin Bour at first and Bour threw the ball into the outfield trying to get the lead runner. With runners on second and third with no outs, Shane French made it 2-1 on a sacrifice fly and Alex Hill added to the lead with an RBI double to right. Jes Snyder put the cap on the inning with a two-run homer to put the Seahawks ahead 5-1.

In the fifth, Jason Appel reached on a leadoff walk and Carver followed with a triple off of Ryan Brecko to make it 6-1. Cody Stanley brought home Carver with a single to left and Snyder singled up the middle to make it 8-1. Mason had leadoff singles in the seventh but Weiss and Ryan Uphouse hit foul pop ups and Spencer Wiggins lined out to right. In the eighth, Soares had a leadoff single and with two outs, Krieger homered, his 14th of the year to make it 8-3.

The Patriots will take 10 days off for finals before returning to the field on May 15 at 3 p.m. when Mason finishes up the regular season with a three-game home series against William & Mary.