Feb. 20, 2010

Box Score

Rock Hill, S.C. - The George Mason baseball team suffered its first loss of the season as a five-run fourth by Winthrop was all the Eagles needed as they beat the Patriots 11-4 in the 2010 Bojangles Baseball Classic. The contest had been a clash between two teams unbeaten in the tournament, which is hosted by Winthrop and is played in Rock Hill, S.C.

The game was scoreless in the fourth when the Eagles struck, knocking Nick Kendrick out of the game. The freshman, making his first appearance for the Patriots, had scattered three hits in the first three innings but Winthrop led off the fourth with a double, a single, a walk and two more singles to make it 3-0 and leave runners on second and third. Chris O'Grady came on in relief and got three straight ground outs, but two more runs scored in the process.

The Eagles added a run in the fifth on a double and an error and then struck for three more in the seventh to chase O'Grady from the game. The seventh-inning runs came on two doubles and three singles.

In the eighth, Mason finally pushed a run across. With one out, Jeremy Haas doubled, Dan Schafferman singled and Haas came home on a Ryan Soares sacrifice fly. In the eighth, a homer, a hit batter, a double and a sacrifice fly pushed the Winthrop lead to 11-1, but Mason answered with three runs in the ninth before the rally fell short.

Anthony Montefusco led off the ninth with a single and Brett Hendricks and Dan Palumbo followed with hits to load the bases. Nick Allen's double plated two and Haas ground out made it 11-4. But a strikeout and a fly out ended the contest, dropping Mason to 2-1 and lifting Winthrop to 2-0. Robert Lake picked up the victory, allowing two hits with three walks in seven innings while striking out nine Patriot batters.

The Patriots will finish play in the tournament on Sunday morning when they play Northeastern. Mason beat the Wildcats on Friday, 25-2.