April 28, 2009

Box Score

Baltimore, Md. - Scott Krieger broke the Colonial Athletic Association record for career RBI and the school record for career runs as the 28th-ranked George Mason baseball team maintained its status as the nation's winningest team as the Patriots beat UMBC, 12-4. Mason (35-8) is tied with North Carolina and Virginia for the most wins in the nation and the Patriots' .814 winning percentage is the best in the country.

Krieger was 1 for 4 with two runs and two RBI, Ryan Soares extended his hitting streak to 14 games and Justin Bour drove in a pair of runs while Chris Henderson had his 25th multi-hit game of the year. Mason has gotten to 35 wins faster than any other team in school history.

Mason got on the board first, running into a bit of luck after almost running out of the inning. With one out Ryan Uphouse singled and Spencer Wiggins was hit by a pitch to put runners on second and third. With a 3-2 count on Henderson, Uphouse broke early for third and was thrown out making it two outs. After Henderson walked, Krieger hit a dribbler off the end of the bat back toward the pitcher Travis Pearson. But Pearson made a throwing error allowing Wiggins to score for a 1-0 lead. A Bour single brought home Henderson and Soares followed with a three-run homer that hit the top of the fence in left-center for a 5-0 lead.

In the fourth, Mark Hill led off with a single, took third when a failed pickoff attempt went into rightfield and scored on a Brent Weiss sacrifice fly to make it 6-0. The Retrievers got their first runs in the fourth when Tom Meaney singled, Max Himmelstein doubled and Justin Lamborn followed with a two-run single to make it 6-2. Kevin Lingerman came on in relief to get a strikeout and pop out to end the inning.

Mason got a run back in the fifth when Krieger drew a one-out walk and scored from first on a Bour double to center. Krieger's run broke Matt Cooksey's school record for career runs scored, giving the senior 212. In the bottom of the inning, Wink Nolan led off with a single up the middle and scored on a Shawn Retz double to deep center. Retz went to third on a ground out and scored on a Himmelstein infield hit.

In the sixth, the Patriots pushed it back to a six-run lead stringing together four hits and using an error and walk to go ahead 10-4. With one out, Uphouse, Wiggins and Henderson all singled to load the bases and Krieger came through with a single to left to break the CAA mark giving him 222 career RBI, breaking Winfred Johnson's 23-year-old record. With the score 9-4, Bour hit a high fly to left that was misplayed allowing him to reach and once again load the bases. Shane Davis' walk brought home Henderson to make it a six-run game.

In the eighth, Henderson singled, his third hit of the day, and he evaded a tag on Bour's grounder to put runners on first and second with one out. Soares walked to load the bases and Davis singled off the third baseman's glove to make it 11-4. Hill's sacrifice fly made it an eight-run game.

Mason will return to action on Wednesday when the Patriots host Rider at 3:30 p.m. Mason will be looking to tie the school record for home wins in a season. Mason is 22-1 at Spuhler Field this year.