FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team allowed eight runs in the opening frame in a 13-9 loss to Navy on Wednesday afternoon at Spuhler Field.
Eight of the first nine batters of the day reached base against Mason (13-28, 2-10 A-10) junior Tyler Kardas, with freshman Jonathan Ostroff entering the game in relief with one out in the first inning. Navy (34-11-1, 12-4 Patriot League) sent 13 batters to the plate in the first, scoring eight runs on seven singles, two walks and two Mason errors to take an early 8-0 lead.
The Patriots came right back in the home half of the first. Sophomore Michael Smith singled, sophomore Tyler Nelin reached on a throwing error and senior Kent Blackstone walked to load the bases with no outs. Sophomore Garett Driscoll, freshman Greg Popatak II and sophomore Trevor Kelly each collected a RBI single to cut the Navy advantage to 8-3. Driscoll would then score from third base on a balk later in the inning to cut the Navy advantage to 8-4.
The first six Mason batters of the game reached base against Navy starter Colin Brady, who recorded just one out in the inning. After a pitching change, freshman Alejandro Aponte drove in a run with a ground out against reliever J.P. Colton to make the score 8-5.
The Midshipman added three more runs in the top of the second to increase the lead to 11-5. Navy had just one single in the inning but took advantage of three walks, a stolen base and a wild pitch. Every player for Navy reached base at least once and scored or drove in a run in the game.
In the bottom of the second, the Patriots loaded the bases with one out before Popatak walked on a 3-2 pitch to force a run across the plate. Kelly followed by knocking in a run with a RBI single through the left side of the infield to cut the lead to 11-7. The teams combined for 13 runs on 12 hits and committed three errors in the first two innings.
Navy scored a run in both the fourth and fifth inning to increase the lead to 13-7. It's the ninth time this season that the Midshipman have scored at least 10 runs in a game.
Mason added two runs in the seventh. Sophomore Frank Sturek drove in a run with a double to right-center field and he later scored on a wild pitch, but Mason wouldn't get any closer, falling in the first game of a five-game homestand 13-9.
Nine runs are the most that Navy has allowed in the last 37 games going back to the first week of March.
Kardas (2-1) allowed eight runs, six earned, on six hits and retired just one batter in the loss. Ostroff surrendered three runs on two hits and walked four in 1.1 innings. Junior Ryan Galvin went 2.1 innings, giving up an unearned run. Freshman Zach Skrtich made his first appearance of the season and allowed an unearned run on one hit in one inning of work.
Ryan Ricci, Saul Aguilera, Mark Maksimow and Zach Mort combined to toss four scoreless innings from the sixth through the ninth. Navy collected 11 singles and one double in the game.
The teams combined to use 13 pitchers in the game, Mason eight and Navy five. There were a total of 347 pitches thrown in the contest.
Smith went 3-for-4 with a walk and scored two runs. Kelly finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Driscoll was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored and Popatak drove in a pair of runs in the game. Mason finished with 10 singles and one double.
The Patriots continue the homestand this weekend with an Atlantic 10 Conference matchup against Richmond.
