April 14, 2010

Box Score

Glen Burnie, Md. - The George Mason baseball team struggled a bit offensively last week, falling from 13th in the nation in scoring to 19th in the nation. The Patriots made up for that drop in production on Wednesday when they took to the road to face Coppin State. Behind an 11-run fifth inning, the Patriots were able to pick up their 20th win of the season, beating the Eagles 20-3 in non-conference action.

Ryan Soares was 3 for 4 with two RBI and two runs scored despite only playing the first five innings. Brig Tison was 2 for 4 with three RBI and Dan Schafferman was 2 for 3 with four RBI and three runs scored. Mark Hill added two hits and two RBI. The Patriots benefited from 13 walks. Nick Kendrick (1-1) picked up his first collegiate win as the Mason pitching staff scattered five hits.

The Eagles jumped on the board in the first as Craig Richmond and Dan Gleiberman singled and Harry Williams walked to load the bases with no one out. When Brig Tison misplayed Derek Richards' grounder to second, Coppin State took a 1-0 lead. The Eagles added an unearned run when Dwight Robinson grounded into a double play scoring Gleiberman on the play.

The Patriots wasted no time responding as, with two outs in the second, Anthony Montefusco walked, Josh Steinberg reached on a fielding error and Schafferman followed with a three-run homer to left to make it 3-2. The score stayed that way until the fifth, when Mason had its biggest inning of the season.

Jeremy Haas got things started with a bunt single and after he stole second, Tison singled to put runners on the corners. Soares' single made it 4-2 and Tison came home on a wild pitch to make it a three-run lead. Hill followed with a walk and after Shane Davis struck out and Dan Palumbo popped out, it looked as if Coppin State might escape with minimal damage. But that's when reliever Cipriano Garza struggled with his command. He walked Anthony Montefusco to load the bases, then walked Josh Steinberg on a 3-1 pitch to make it 6-2. That was the first of nine-straight balls as he walked Schafferman and Haas on 3-0 pitches to make it 8-2. Tison didn't let it go to 10-straight as he swung at the first pitch and the result was a two-run single. Soares and Hill added RBI singles in the inning and after Davis walked, Palumbo had a two-run double to cap the scoring, giving Mason a 14-2 lead.

The Eagles scratched out a run in the bottom of the fifth on a single and steal by Richmond and an RBI single by Gleiberman. In the sixth, the Patriots scored three more as Schafferman singled, Haas walked, the runners advanced on a wild pitch and Schafferman scored on a Tison sacrifice fly. After pinch-hitter Chris Cook was hit by a pitch, Hill doubled to make it 16-3. Davis walked and Danny Lyons followed with an infield hit to make it a 14-run lead.

In the eighth, Tison doubled, Cook walked and Hill singled to load the bases. After Davis walked to make it 18-3, Danny Lyons' fielder's choice brought home Cook to make it a 16-run lead. Aaron Tenney's sacrifice fly gave Mason its 20th run of the game.

The Patriots will return to action on Friday when the Patriots play at Northeastern at 2 p.m.