FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team lost to Siena College 19-7 at Spuhler Field on Sunday afternoon in a game that was shortened due to rain.
Siena (2-11) raced out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. After Mason starter Bryce Nightengale retired the first two batters of the game, the Saints loaded the bases. Freshman Matt Hamel drove in two runs with a double to left field and junior Nick Duarte knocked in two more with a single to center.
The Patriots (3-12) responded in the home half of the first by sending eight hitters to the plate and scoring twice. After senior Brandon Gum drew a leadoff walk, sophomore Michael Smith smashed a triple to right-center with Gum rumbling around from first to score to make it 4-1. After two more walks in the inning, Smith raced home on a wild pitch to cut the Saints lead to 4-2.
Mason took the lead in the bottom of the second inning. Gum tripled to deep center and scored on a sacrifice fly by Smith to make the score 4-3. Senior Kent Blackstone then walked on four pitches to set the table for freshman Greg Popatak II, who belted his first collegiate home run over the wall in right-center to put the Patriots in front 5-4.
Under threatening skies, the Saints batted around and used a three-run homer to score four more runs in the top of the fourth to grab the lead back at 8-5.
The Patriots rallied in the bottom of the fourth when Gum, Smith and Blackstone were each hit by a pitch to load the bases with only one out. Sophomore Tyler Nelin drove in two runs with a single through the left side to get Mason within one run at 8-7, but that would be all the offense for the Patriots in the game.
The two teams played despite the falling rain throughout the game and Siena scored 11 runs in the final four innings of play before the skies opened and the game was called in the top of the eighth. The Saints took two-of-three in the series.
Nightengale (0-3) allowed eight runs on eight hits over 3.2 innings in the loss. He struck out three and walked five. Seven different Mason pitchers combined to walk a season-high 16 batters. Chris Amorosi (1-1) didn't allow a run for the Saints in 3.2 innings of relief to earn the win.
Gum went 2-for-3 and scored three runs. He reached base four times in the game. Smith went 1-for-3, scored twice and drove in two runs. He hit the Patriots first triple of the season in the first inning. Popatak went 1-for-4 and his home run in the second traveled nearly 370 feet. Nelin was 1-for-3 and finished the day with two RBI.
The Patriots continue the homestand on Tuesday, March 15 when they host Longwood University at Spuhler Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
