May 1, 2009
Box Score
The 28th-ranked George Mason baseball team jumped out to an 8-0 lead, saw Northeastern pull to within two, then held on in the final three innings to win the opening game in a three-game series with the Huskies, beating Northeastern 9-6. Mason, which leads the nation in wins and winning percentage with a 36-9 record, tied the school record for home wins in a season as they improved to 23-2 at Spuhler Field. The Patriots also improved to 15-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association and Mason clinched one of the six postseason spots in the CAA Tournament. Northeastern fell to 22-18, 8-8.
In anticipation of bad weather on Sunday, the two teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow with two nine-inning games beginning at 11 a.m. Senior Day for Mason's eight seniors will proceed the game.
Scott Krieger had two hits, two RBI, two runs and two big outfield assists while Justin Bour and Ryan Soares also had multiple hits and multiple RBI for the Patriots. Frank Compagnone had three hits while David Gustafson had two hits and two runs for Northeastern.
The Patriots struck first and they did it by putting the first five batters on base. Spencer Wiggins and Chris Henderson walked, Scott Krieger was hit by a pitch and Justin Bour hit a bases-loaded single up the middle to make it 2-0. Ryan Soares followed with an RBI single to left and after the runners advanced on a wild pitch, Bour scored on a Mark Hill ground out to make it 4-0.
In the second, Mason again got a pair of free passes to lead off the inning, this time with Uphouse and Wiggins walking. Uphouse scored on a Krieger single up the middle and Wiggins scored on a Bour base hit to left. Soares followed with an infield hit to bring home Krieger with a 7-0 lead. With two outs, Dan Palumbo singled to left to bring home Bour for an eight-run lead.
Northeastern trimmed a few runs off the lead in the third when, with two outs, Compagnone singled, Mike Tamsin was hit by a pitch and James Donaldson doubled to the wall in right-center to make it 8-2. In the fourth, Gustafson led off with a solo homer to make it a five-run game.
Mason starter Kevin Crum saw his day end in the sixth as, with two outs, Matt Miller hit a single off the glove of shortstop Brent Weiss to drive in Gustafson, who had singled earlier in the inning. Crum went five and two-third innings allowing six runs on 11 hits and no walks while striking out seven. Ryan Brecko came on in relief and after walking Compagnone, Tamsin singled to drive in Miller and Ryan Maguire, who had also singled earlier in the inning. Brecko got Donaldson to pop out to end the threat.
Mason finally got back on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Ryan Uphouse drew a leadoff walk to end Quigley's outing after 115 pitches. He gave up nine runs on six walks and six hits with six strikeouts in five innings. Dan Zehr came on in relief and after a sacrifice bunt and a deep flyout, Krieger delivered an RBI single to left to make it 9-6.
