April 19, 2009

Box Score

Richmond, Va. - The 25th-ranked George Mason baseball team picked up its 30th win of the season, the fastest any team in school history has gotten to 30 wins, and the Patriots won its fifth Colonial Athletic Association series in as many tries as the Patriots won on the road at VCU, beating the Rams, 9-2.

Kris Mengle (2-0) pitched five strong innings to get the win while Ryan Brecko, Ben Reade and Jordan Flasher combined for four scoreless innings in relief. Mason got three hits and three RBI from Justin Bour, two hits and two RBI from Scott Krieger, and Brent Weiss added three hits and two runs as the Patriots improved to 30-7 on the year, 11-4 in the CAA. VCU is 18-14, 6-6.

Mason got on the board in the second as Bour singled, Ryan Soares singled and the runners advanced on a Mark Hill sacrifice bunt. A wild pitch scored Bour and moved Soares to third and he scored on a Weiss double. The Rams tied the score in the third as Andrew Dimino and Aaron Morgan singled with one out and after a hit batter loaded the bases, Justin Wright singled to center to make it 2-2.

The Patriots retook the lead in the fifth as Weiss singled and Ryan Uphouse reached when an error was made on his sacrifice bunt. Spencer Wiggins followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved the runners into scoring position and Krieger followed with a two-run single up the middle. Ahead 4-2, Mason never looked back, scoring three times in the final four innings. In the sixth, Soares led off with a solo homer for a 5-2 lead. It became a 6-2 game in the eighth when Krieger led off with a triple and scored on a Bour single up the middle.

In the ninth, Mason added three insurance runs. Weiss and Uphouse singled through the left side, the runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt and Weiss scored on a Chris Henderson sacrifice fly. After Krieger was intentionally walked, Bour doubled to make it 9-2.

Mason will return to action on Tuesday when the Patriots host George Washington at 3 p.m.