BASEBALL (10-22, 2-7 A-10) at GEORGETOWN (14-19, 1-2 BIG EAST)
WHEN: 3 p.m. Tuesday, Apr. 12
WHERE: Shirley Povich Field
LAST MEETING: The Patriots edged the Hoyas 2-1 at Spuhler Field Mar. 29.
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RADIO: GoMason Digital Network
FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason baseball team is back on the diamond for a non-conference game against Georgetown on Tuesday afternoon at Shirley Povich Field.
This is the second and final meeting of the season between the two teams. Mason claimed the first meeting 2-1 at Spuhler Field Mar. 29 behind a strong pitching performance by junior Tyler Kardas, who was sharp from the start. He retired 10 of the first 11 batters in the game and allowed just two singles and didn't walk a batter in 5.0 innings to earn the win. Freshman Zach Mort tossed 1.2 scoreless innings to pick up the save.
Sophomore Timothy Turner knocked in the first run of the game in the second inning with a sacrifice fly and senior Kent Blackstone, who went 2-for-4, gave Mason a 2-0 advantage with a RBI triple in the fifth. Sophomore Michael Smith and freshman Tim Quinn each went 1-for-4.
The teams combined for 10 hits in the game, with the Patriots scoring two runs on four hits and the Hoyas plating one run on six hits.
Smith and Blackstone are the only two players to appear in every game this season for Mason. Smith leads the team in plate appearances (126), is tied for the team lead in runs scored (20) and is second on the team with 29 hits. Blackstone leads the Patriots in hits (30), extra-base-hits (15) and RBIs (23).
The Patriots and Hoyas were scheduled to meet twice last season, but the game at Shirley Povich Field was postponed due to weather. In the lone meeting last season, the Hoyas collected 19 hits in a 16-9 win over the Patriots.
Freshman Alejandro Aponte hit .500 last week going 5-for-10 with two multi-hit games and reached base a total of seven times. He also recorded his first collegiate RBI in a win over Dayton. Sophomore Garett Driscoll has three hits, including a home run and four RBIs in his last three games.
The Patriots play seven of their next eight games away from home. Mason is 1-8 on the road this season with the lone victory at James Madison 16-5 on Mar. 23 in Harrisonburg, Va.
SCOUTING REPORT
Georgetown (14-19, 1-2 BIG EAST) has dropped five of its last six games after suffering a 5-4 loss at St. John's on Sunday. The Hoyas allowed the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth and were held to just three hits in the game.
The Hoyas have played 26 of their 33 games this season on the road or at a neutral site. Georgetown is 3-4 at home after dropping three straight games to Princeton at Shirley Povich Field Mar. 18-20 in its last home series. The Hoyas were outscored 19-7 in those three games.
All three of Georgetown's home wins this season have been by a single run (1-0 vs. UMBC Mar. 1, 5-4 vs. Yale Mar. 15 and 4-3 in 10 innings vs. Princeton Mar. 17).
Georgetown has lost 12 of its last 16 games overall, including the 2-1 loss to Mason.
Cristian Sanchez leads Georgetown at the plate batting .345 with a home run and seven RBIs in his nine games this season. Michael Derenzi is hitting .339 with two homers and 15 RBIs in 28 games and Joseph Bialkowski leads the Hoyas with three home runs and 20 RBIs.
PROBABLE STARTER
RHP Nick Leonard (1-0, 3.65) is schedule to start for the Hoyas. He's allowed five runs on nine hits in 12.1 innings in his three appearances this season.
The first pitch Tuesday at Shirley Povich Field is slated for 3 p.m.
