Game one box score (PDF)
Game two box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team split a pair of games against Winthrop on Saturday afternoon at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va. 

Mason (1-11) dropped the first game, 7-4, in the conclusion of a contest that was suspended due to darkness on Friday.  The Patriots then earned their first win of the season, 6-2, in the second game of the day.

GAME ONE

Mason senior starter James Beasley and Winthrop freshman starter Willie Lumpkin kept the game scoreless through three innings.

The Eagles broke the ice in the top of the fourth.  Winthrop senior catcher Spencer Yankle led off with a double to left field and moved to third on a ground out. 

Freshman designated hitter Ethan Fewell was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners.  Yankle scrambled home from third on an error on a pickoff attempt at first to put the Eagles in front 1-0.

The Patriots evened the score in the home half of the fourth.  Freshman designated hitter Lyle Miller-Green reached on an error and with one out, senior catcher Devon Adams singled to center to put runners on first and second.

After Miller-Green was caught trying to steal third, sophomore infielder Peter Nielsen singles to put runners on the corners.  Sophomore infielder Jared Lyons followed with a double to left, with Adams crossing to the plate to tie the game, 1-1.

The game was delayed for an hour by lightning.  When play resumed, Winthrop sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the fifth to take the lead. 

The Eagles scored four runs on two hits against Beasley and junior reliever Austin Cabone and took advantage of two Mason errors to make it a 5-1 game.
The Patriots again responded, sending eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth.

With one out, junior Cam Reckling hit his first home run of the season, a solo blast over the left field fence to cut the lead to 5-2.  Freshman Craig Miles, Jr. walked and Miller-Green singled before junior first baseman Scott Morgan drove in a pair of runs with a double to make it a one-run game at 5-4.

Winthrop scored a run on an error and another on a RBI-single in the top of the seventh to extend the advantage to 7-4.

The game was suspended at the end of the seventh inning due to darkness.  The game resumed on Saturday, with the Eagles holding on for the victory.

Beasley (0-4) allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits in 4.0 innings and took the loss.  Cabone gave up two unearned runs on four hits in 3.0 innings.  Sophomore Patrick Halligan retired all six batters he faced over the last two innings.

Lumpkin allowed one run on five hits over 4.1 innings in a no-decision for the Eagles.  Senior Jason Crumley (2-0) tossed 2.2 scoreless innings to earn the win, while senior closer Colten Rendon recorded the final two outs of the game to pick up his fourth save of the season.

Adams went 3-for-5 with three singles and scored a run, Miles was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, and Nielsen finished 2-for-4 with a pair of singles for the Patriots.

GAME TWO

The Patriots stormed out to an early first inning lead against Winthrop sophomore starter Daniel Blair.

Reckling led off the game with a double to left field and Miles followed with a walk.  Miller-Green then smashed a ball into the gap in right-center for a triple, with Reckling and Miles scoring to put the Patriots in front 2-0. 

Morgan sent a fly ball to center, with Miller-Green coasting home on the sacrifice fly to make it a 3-0 game.

Mason added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

In the fourth, junior Jackson Barrett delivered with a RBI single to make the score 4-0.  In the fifth, Miller-Green doubled, moved to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 5-0.

The lead was more than enough for Patriots starter Mason Posey, who allowed just three hits through the first five innings of the game.

Winthrop got on the board in the sixth when Yankle hit a two-run home run to center field to cut the lead to 5-2.

Mason made the call to the bullpen and summoned sophomore Nick Zegna, who worked three scoreless innings the rest of the way.

The Patriots tacked on a run in the seventh when Morgan drove in graduate student outfielder Jack DeLongchamps with a single for the 6-2 final.

Posey (1-3) allowed two runs on five hits and struck out eight batters over 6.0 innings to earn the win.  Zegna pitched three innings of two-hit ball to pick up his first save of the season.

Miller-Green went 3-for-4 with a single, double and a triple.  He drove in two runs and scored two runs.  Barrett was 2-for-3 and drove in a run, while Morgan knocked in a pair of runs for the Patriots.

Mason and Winthrop play the final game of the series on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Spuhler Field.