April 18, 2009
Box Score
Richmond, Va. -
After suffering back-to-back losses for just the second time all season, the George Mason baseball team bounced back behind Mike Modica's pitching and Scott Krieger's productive day at the plate as the 25th-ranked Patriots beat VCU, 8-2. Mason is now 29-7 on the year and 10-4 in Colonial Athletic Association action. VCU is now 18-13, 6-5
Modica pitched six innings allowed one earned run on six hits and four walks with six strikeouts as he improved to 7-1 on the year. Shawn Griffith pitched the final three innings to pick up the save, allowing just one hit and one walk. Krieger was 4 for 5 with three RBI, Chris Henderson had three hits and scored three runs and Ryan Soares and Shane Davis each had a pair of RBI.
The Patriots got on the board in their first at-bat as Henderson doubled, Krieger reached on an error and Justin Bour was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Soares provided the RBU with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 1-0. The Rams tied the score in the fourth when Otto singled, went to third on a throwing error by Mike Modica and scored on a Wright ground out.
Mason retook the lead in the fifth as Henderson singled up the middle and Krieger tripled to make it 2-1. After Soares walked, Mark Hill singled to give the Patriots a two-run cushion. Soares scored on a Davis grounder to make it 4-1. A Rodriguez homer to lead off the bottom of the fifth got VCU back to within two and the Rams threatened a bigger inning after a walk and a single but Modica got a double play ball to end the inning.
In the sixth, Mason got some separation as Ryan Uphouse reached on an error, went to second on a Spencer Wiggins sacrifice bunt and scored on a Krieger single to center. After Krieger stole second, Soares singled to bring him home and make it 6-2. In the eighth Henderson doubled and Krieger singled to make it 7-2 and Davis' solo homer in the ninth accounted for the final run.
Mason and VCU will play the rubber match of their three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
