Patriots Host Fordham in Atlantic 10 Series

Baseball 3/23/2017 1:25:00 PM

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team plays its first Atlantic 10 Conference series of the season, hosting Fordham for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday at Spuhler Field.

Mason (7-13) had its game at Mount St. Mary's on Tuesday postponed due to field conditions in Emmitsburg, Md.

Last time out, Mason dropped the final game of its three-game series against Canisius 7-1 on Sunday afternoon at the North Main Athletic Complex in Holly Springs, N.C.

The Patriots fell behind in the top of the first inning when Canisius scored a pair of runs with two RBI singles to take a 2-0 lead. The Golden Griffins added single runs in both the second and fourth innings to double the advantage to 4-0.

Mason scored its lone run of the game in the seventh when junior Frank Sturek reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to third on a single by classmate Tyler Nelin and scored on an error to make the score 4-1.

In the eighth, Canisius sent eight batters to the plate and scored three runs on two hits, including a bases-clearing double off the right field wall to make it 7-1.

Nelin has a .321 average and leads the team in hits (25), doubles (8), home runs (5) and is second with 17 RBI. Junior Trevor Kelly is batting .311 and his three home runs are second-most on the team. Junior Michael Smith has a .294 average, leads the team with 20 runs scored and is second on the squad with five doubles.

The Patriots have hit at least one home run in seven of the last eight games. Nine players have hit at least one home run so far this season.

Mason is 6-3 all-time against Fordham including a 5-1 record at Spuhler Field. The Patriots have outscored the Rams by a combined score of 55-18 in the six games played between the two teams in Fairfax.

Mason took two-of-three against Fordham at Spuhler Field in 2014, winning 7-4 and 6-0 and dropping an 8-5 contest. In 2005, Mason swept a three-game series from Fordham, winning game one 25-3, claiming a 4-1 win in game two and the capturing the finale 8-2.

The two teams didn't meet during the 2016 season. Fordham won two of three games in the series against Mason in the last meeting April 2-4, 2015 in Bronx, N.Y. The Rams won the first game 11-2 and the series finale 8-6, while the Patriots recorded a 10-6 victory in the middle game of the series.

FORDHAM SCOUTING REPORT:

Fordham went 29-29 overall last season and finished fifth in the Atlantic 10 with a record of 14-10 against conference opponents. The Rams were 14-8 at home, 12-15 on the road and 3-6 in neutral site games during the 2016 campaign.

Fordham defeated Saint Louis 9-7 in the first round of the A-10 tournament before falling to top-seeded Rhode Island 10-1 and St. Joseph's 7-6.

The Rams dropped six of the first seven games this season, including three straight losses at No. 21 Long Beach State. Since a 2-1 loss to Canisius on March 5, Fordham has won six of its last nine games.

The Rams have outscored opponents 22-5 during their current four-game winning streak.

Fordham (7-9) swept a three-game series from Sacred Heart last weekend, earning 1-0, 2-1 and 8-1 wins. The Rams then belted three home runs in a 10-3 win over Iona on Tuesday. Senior Jason Lundy hit a three-run homer, while senior Mark Donadio and sophomore Reiss Knehr added solo shots.

The Rams are 5-1 at home and 1-5 on the road this season.

Right-hander Jimmy Murphy was named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. He threw eight shutout innings in Fordham's 1-0 win over Sacred Heart last Friday. Murphy allowed just two hits and struck out a career-high 14 batters without a walk over eight innings.

Senior Luke Stampfl leads the team in average (.400), hits (26), home runs (3) and RBI (9) in 16 games played. Sophomore Justin Bardwell is batting .314 and is tied for first on the team with five doubles and is tied for second with seven RBI.

MASON PROBABLE STARTERS:

Friday: RHP Tyler Zombro (0-3, 3.29)
Saturday: LHP Brian Marconi (2-2, 4.21)
Sunday: TBD

STRIKE ZONE:

Since the 2005 season, the Patriots have scored at least 20 runs in a game 13 times. Mason accomplished the feat three times in both the 2005 and 2010 seasons.

The Patriots defeated Fordham 25-3 on March, 5, 2005 in Fairfax. The 25 runs scored by Mason in that game are tied for the third-most that the program has scored in a single game over the last 12 seasons.

Mason defeated Coppin State 28-1 on March 6, 2007 in Fairfax, recorded a 27-12 win at Mount St. Mary's on April 27, 2005 and cruised to a 25-2 victory over Northwestern on Feb. 19, 2010 in Rock Hill, S.C.

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