WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The George Mason baseball team could not find an offensive rhythm in the rubber game at William & Mary, falling to the Tribe 7-1 on Sunday afternoon in the final scheduled meeting between the longtime rivals. Mason dropped to 15-31, 6-18 in the Colonial Athletic Association while the Tribe improved to 11-7 in league play and 28-17 overall.
W&M starter Jason Inghram limited the Patriots to just one hit while fanning 15 batters in the contest as he improved to 6-4, while Mason's John Williams (3-4) took the loss after starting and allowing six runs (four earned) in four innings of work. Reliever Mark Maksimow allowed just one unearned run and one hit in four innings.
In the bottom of the first, W&M struck first as Shaw hit a one out single to short and came home to score following a Katz double and Lindemuth's sacrifice fly to left. Two innings later, the Tribe broke the scoreboard open with four runs. Brown led off with a double and scored on an RBI single by Lindemuth. He, along with Shaw, would score on a single and an error by Hissey. Two batters later, Shaver hit an RBI single to make the score 5-0.
Mason's first 11 batters were set down in order by Inghram, before Blaise Fernandez lined a shot through the legs of third baseman William Shaw. The play was ruled an error as Fernandez wheeled around to second base, but he would represent the only baserunner for the Patriots in eight innings.
Meanwhile, in the home half of the fourth, the Tribe added a run on Shaw's RBI double which scored leadoff man Ryan Brown, and in the sixth, an RBI groundout by Lindemuth scored Lowe and left the score 7-0 in favor of W&M.
After pinch hitter Brandon Sable was retired to lead off the ninth inning, Gum deposited a base hit into right field, ending Inghram's no-hit bid. He would walk the next batter, Josh Leemhuis, on four straight balls, and committed a throwing error trying to start a game-ending double-play. In the very next at-bat, Fernandez flew out to center field, deep enough to allow Gum to cross the plate for Mason's fourth ninth-inning run in the weekend series.
The Patriots continue their eight-game road trip on Tuesday, traveling to Arlington, Va., to take on George Washington at 3 p.m.
