COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland used 13 runs on 11 hits to defeat the George Mason baseball team (22-15, 9-4) 13-4 in the second of two meetings between the two teams this season Wednesday night.
The Terrapins improve to 25-15 with the win, their second victory over Mason this season after winning 11-0 two weeks ago in Fairfax. The Patriots scored their four runs on nine hits while committing four errors to Maryland's zero.
Sophomore Evan Porcella made his first start of the season in his 11th appearance, taking the loss to fall to 1-1 after surrendering the first four Maryland runs of the ballgame on five hits, walking one and striking out one batter. The Terps scored three runs in the first inning on three singles and two errors and notched the fourth in the second to take an early 4-1 lead. Mason scored the first run of the ballgame after a sacrifice fly brought home Luke Willis who led off the game with a base hit for the third straight game.
Senior right hander Steven Ball made his first appearance as a Patriot in relief of Porcella in the fourth inning, pitching the next three frames for Mason. Ball struck out the first batter he faced and allowed one unearned run to score in the fourth, ending his day with two strikeouts and three hits allowed in his three innings.
Maryland took a 5-2 lead into the sixth inning where the Patriots scored twice to cut it to 5-4. After Derek Evans led off with a walk and Chris Cook singled, Brandon Gum plated both runners with a double down the left field line. Gum led Mason on offense with a 2-3 performance at the plate with three RBI to bring his total to 21 on the season, the third Patriot to eclipse the 20 RBI mark. Gum singled home the second run of the ballgame in the second inning, scoring Cook from second base. Cook went 2-3 and scored twice in the contest.
The Terps broke open the game in the seventh inning, scoring three runs in the inning and adding another five in the eighth to bring their total to 13. Tyler Kardas and Taylor Hunt combined to pitch the seventh, allowing the three runs to score on two hits. Riley Coverdale pitched two-thirds of the eighth, allowing five runs to score on one hit as he hit four Maryland batters with a pitch in his time on the mound. Ryan Galvin appeared for the second consecutive game, closing out the eighth inning.
First baseman Wade LaMonte was the a bright spot for Maryland, going 4-5 with two RBI and scoring three runs. Zach Morris picked up his second victory of the season after pitching the first five innings where he walked five and allowed two runs on five hits.
The Patriots begin an important series with the Atlantic 10's first place team, Saint Louis, on Friday, April 25 at 3:00 p.m. in Fairfax. The Billikens lead the conference with an 11-3 record in A-10 play.
