March 16, 2010

Farmville, Va. - The George Mason baseball team, playing for the first time in a week, took the field on Tuesday and quickly ended any drama as the Patriots beat Longwood 17-5 in Farmville, Va. The Patriots got solid pitching from six different players and production up and down the lineup as they improved to 6-4 on the year. Longwood fell to 7-5

Mason scored seven runs in the second inning to turn a one-run deficit into a six-run lead. Jeremy Haas was 2 for 6 with three RBI and two steals, Ryan Soares was 3 for 5 with two runs, Brett Hendricks was 3 for 4 with two RBI and two runs scored and Shane Davis homered and had three RBI. Weekend starters Kevin Crum, Ryan Brecko and Kris Mengle went two innings each while relievers Brandon Bartlett, Brandon Kuter and Ryan Pfaeffle each went an inning.

Longwood struck first with a two-out solo homer by Phil Cerreto in the bottom of the first. The Patriots countered quickly in the second as Hill doubled, Josh Steinberg walked, the runners advanced on a passed ball and Hill scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. After Hendricks reached on an error, Brig Tison and Nick Allen drew back-to-back walks to make it 2-1. Jeremy Haas reached on a fielder's choice scoring a run and a throwing error brought an additional run home for a 4-1 lead. Haas stole second and third and scored on a Soares double down the leftfield line. Shane Davis finished the inning with a two-run homer to make it 7-1 as the Patriots batted around.

The Patriots plated three more runs in the third as Steinberg walked, Hendricks singled and Brig Tison reached on an error to load the bases. Allen and Haas followed with RBI singles and Dan Schafferman's sacrifice fly made it 10-1. In the fourth, Hill walked and Steinberg tripled to make it a 10-run lead. Hendricks' sacrifice fly made it 12-1. Longwood got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as Cerreto walked, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on an error.

Mason got the runs back and then some in the fifth as Soares doubled, Davis and Hill walked and Steinbegr drove in Soares with a sacrifice fly. Hendricks singled with one out to bring home Davis and Allen doubled to right center with two outs to make it 15-2. In the bottom of the fifth, a hit batter and two singles put runners on the corners with no outs and one run home already. But a strike and a pop out quickly made it two outs and after a Robby Newman single made it 15-4, a walk and ground out ended the rally.

Both teams bats were kept quiet in the sixth and seventh but in the eighth Mason pushed another run across. Haas and Schafferman walked and Chris Cook was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Davis' grounder to short scored Haas to make it 16-4. In the ninth, Danny Lyons singled, Tison was hit by a pitch and Josh Turner singled to load the bases. Haas' fielder's choice accounted for Mason's final run. In the bottom of the ninth, Longwood got a bunt single, a walk and a single to make it 17-5 before a double play ended the contest.

The Patriots will return to action on Wednesday when they face Georgetown in Bethesda, Md. at Shirley Povich Field at 3 p.m.