Game One Box score (PDF)
Game Two Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason baseball team swept a its doubleheader against Niagara on Saturday with a 15-2 win in game one and a 6-3 victory in game two at Spuhler Field in Fairfax, Va.

GAME ONE

After two scoreless innings, Mason (3-4) took the lead in the bottom of the third inning against Purple Eagles (2-2) freshman starter Ryan Minckler.

Senior second baseman Brett Stallings led off with a single and with one out, sophomore shortstop Carsen Pracht dropped down a bunt single to put runners on first and second.  Senior third baseman South Trimble then singled through right side, with Stallings scoring the first run of the game to put the Patriots in front, 1-0.

Junior Derek Wood was hit by a pitch to load the bases before junior center fielder Jordan Smith lifted a sacrifice fly to center, with Pracht coasting home from third to make it 2-0.

The Patriots added a run in the bottom of the fourth.  Junior designated hitter Mark Trotta was hit by a pitch to start the inning and sophomore first baseman Reece Woody walked.  A sacrifice bunt by Stallings moved the runners into scoring position, but Trotta was thrown out at home trying to score on a fielder's choice ground out by sophomore catcher Connor Dykstra.

With runners on the corners the Patriots executed a double steal.  Dykstra moved to second and Woody scrambled home to increase the lead to 3-0.

In the home half of the sixth, the Patriots tacked on a run against Minckler and Niagara graduate student reliever Marty Cole.

Freshman left fielder James Quinn-Irons led off with a double to left and Trotta was hit by a pitch.  With one out, Cole entered the game for the Purple Eagles and Stallings beat out an infield single to load the bases for the second time in the game.  Dykstra made it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly to left field.

While the Patriots built the lead, senior starter Ben Shields kept the Purple Eagles guessing through his five innings of work.  He allowed just two hits and struck out seven before turning the game over to the bullpen.

Niagara dented the scoreboard in the top of the seventh against Mason junior reliever Kyle Menaker.  With one out, Purple Eagles junior shortstop Brady Desjardins walked and moved to second on a wild pitch.  Freshman center fielder Nick Groves singled up the middle to drive in Desjardins to cut the lead to 4-1.

Mason freshman reliever Owen Stewart entered the game and hit the first batter he faced to put runners on first and second.  After a pop out, both runners advanced on a wild pitch before graduate student first baseman Josh Marchese knocked in a run with a single to right field to pull the Purple Eagles closer at 4-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Patriots sent 12 batters to the plate and scored eight runs on three hits, four walks and two hit by pitch against three Niagara pitchers in the inning.

Trimble walked and moved to second, third and scored on three balks to make it a 5-2 game.  Smith singled, Quinn-Irons was hit by a pitch and after a pitching change, graduate student Ryan Archibald drew a pinch-hit walk to load the bases.  Freshman third baseman Evan Blanchard walked to force in a run to pad the advantage to 6-2.

Stallings had one of the big hits in the inning with a two-run double down the right field line and it was 8-2.  Blanchard would score on a passed ball and Stallings crossed the plate on a wild pitch to build a 10-2 lead.

Trimble drove in a run with a single to right and Wood knocked in the final run of the frame with a ground out to make it 12-2.

Mason added three more runs in the eighth.  Stallings drove in a run with a single and both Blanchard and Stallings scored on a wild pitch for the 15-2 final score.

For the Patriots, Shields (2-0) tossed five innings of two-hit ball and struck out seven with two walks.  Menaker allowed two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings and Stewart retired two batters in his outing.  Freshmen Michael Salina and Ryan Edmonds each tossed one scoreless inning.

The Purple Eagles used six pitchers.  Minckler (0-2) surrendered four runs on five hits in 5.1 innings and took the loss.  Cole retired two batters, graduate student Tommy Bednarski allowed four runs on one hit and retired one batter.  Graduate student Cal Theal gave up three runs on one hit, while freshman Preston Prince gave up a run and classman Oliver Barkal allowed three runs in 1.0 inning.

Stallings went 4-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored.  Trimble finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored.  Quinn-Irons, Blanchard and Pracht each scored two runs.  The Patriots had 11 players either drive in at least one run or score at least one run.

GAME TWO

Niagara (2-3) took the early lead in the top of the first inning against Mason (4-5) sophomore starter Chad Gartland.  With two outs, graduate student Max Giordano drove in a run with a single up the middle to put the Purple Eagles in front, 1-0.

In the top of the fourth, Marchese led off with a solo home run to right field to increase the advantage to 2-0.

The Patriots would score five runs over the next three innings to take the lead for good.

Dykstra led off the fifth inning with a double and scored on a two-out double by Trimble to make it a one-run game at 2-1.

In the sixth, the Patriots loaded the bases with three singles.  Trotta drove in the first run of the inning with a RBI-single, and Quinn-Irons also scored on the play on a throwing error to put Mason ahead, 3-2.

The Patriots took advantage of two errors in the seventh to add to the lead.  The first two batters of the inning, Blanchard and Pracht, each reached base on a throwing error.  Blanchard scored on an error and Wood plated a run with a triple to right-center and it was 5-2.

The teams traded runs in the eighth.  Niagara scored a run with a groundout and Dykstra recorded his third hit of the game with a RBI-single for the 6-3 final score.

For the Patriots, Gartland (1-0) allowed two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 6.0 innings to earn his first win of the year.  Freshman Tyler Herkey gave up one run on two hits in 2.0 innings.  Junior Christian Mracna tossed a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts to notch his second save.

For the Purple Eagles, sophomore Nick Veselinovic allowed two runs on six hits in 5.0 innings.  Cole gave up one run on two hits in 1.0 inning.  Senior Steven Hospital (0-1) surrendered three runs, one earned, in 2.0 innings and took the loss.

Dykstra went 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.  Trimble, Wood and Trotta each drove in a run.

The Patriots and Niagara wrap up the four-game series with a doubleheader on Sunday.  The first pitch for game one scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at Spuhler Field.