Box score (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Patriots finished with 22 hits and completed a three-game sweep against Monmouth for their fifth straight win with a 16-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Spuhler Field.

George Mason has outscored its opponents by a combined 63-21 over the five-game winning streak.  In the three-game sweep against the Hawks, the Patriots scored 38 runs on 48 hits to improve to 4-0 for the week.

THE LEADOFF

• Junior starter Brandon Cassedy struck out eight batters in 6.2 innings and earned his first win as a Patriot.
• Junior center fielder James Quinn-Irons had five hits and four RBI in the series finale.
• Sophomore designated hitter Owen Hull collected three hits, scored three runs and stole three bases.
• Junior shortstop Owen Clyne finished with four hits, three RBI and two runs scored.
• Freshman left fielder Lucas Alberti had a three-hit game and scored four runs.
• Five players had a multi-hit game and five players scored at least two runs for the Patriots.

Monmouth (3-7) took the lead against George Mason (7-4) in the top of the first.  Graduate student designated hitter Harry Padden led off with a triple and scored on a single by graduate student second baseman Casey Caufield for the first run of the day.  Caufield would later score from third on a wild pitch to put the Hawks in front, 2-0.

In the bottom of the first, the Patriots sent nine batters to the plate and scored three runs on four hits to take the lead against Monmouth senior starter J.D. Greeley.

Alberti led off with a single up the middle and with one out, Quinn-Irons singled up the middle to put runners on the corners.  Sophomore third baseman Jake Butler then dropped down a sacrifice bunt with Alberti rumbling home.  After a walk to freshman catcher Andrew Raymond, sophomore second baseman Toby Hueber and Clyne each knocked in a run with a single to give the Patriots the lead for good at 3-2.

In the second, Alberti again started the inning with a single and Hull reached on an error.  Quinn-Irons wasted no time, driving in a run with a single to make it 4-2.  With one out, the Patriots executed a double steal, with Hull crossing the plate to increase the lead to 5-2.

The Patriots batted around again in the home half of the third and scored four runs on three hits and two walks against Greeley and Hawks sophomore reliever Joey Ciancimino.

Clyne led off with a walk and graduate student Jonny Wall doubled to left to put a pair of runners in scoring position.  With one out, Alberti drew a walk and Clyne scrambled across the plate on a wild pitch.  Hull then singled in a run to extend the advantage to 7-2.  Hull stole second and with two out, Bulter singled to second base to knock in Alberti and Hull followed him home on a throwing error to make it 9-2.

The Patriots added a pair of runs in the fifth against Ciancimino and Hawks senior reliever Derek Benzinger.  Quinn-Irons started the inning with a double, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on Raymond's single to left for the 10th run of the game.  After Raymond moved to second base on a ground out, Clyne sent a RBI-single to center to pad the lead to 11-2.

With one out in the sixth, Hull singled, stole second and advanced to third on an error.  Quinn-Irons bounced a single through the left side to knock in the 12th run of the game.

In the seventh, the Patriots sent 10 batters to the plate and scored four runs on six hits for the 16-2 final score.  Quinn-Irons drove in a pair of runs with a single, while Hull and Clyne also each singled in a run in the inning.

For the Patriots, Cassedy (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and two walks to earn his first win as a Patriot.  From the second through the sixth inning, he retired 12 straight Hawks batters.

Sophomore Shaun Okeeffe retired the lone batter he faced to end the seventh inning, sophomore Ty Uchman tossed 1.0 hitless inning and graduate student Gardner Meeks struck out the side in the ninth.

For the Hawks, Greeley (0-2) surrendered seven runs on seven hits in 2.0 innings and took the loss.  Ciancimino allowed four runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings.  Benzinger gave up five runs on eight hits in 1.2 innings.

Quinn-Irons went 5-for-6 with four RBI and two runs scored.  Hull was 3-for-6 with two RBI, three runs scored and three stolen bases.  Clyne finished 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.  Freshman Tripp Capers made his NCAA debut when he took over in center field in the ninth inning.  Junior Laken Tignor recorded his first hit as a Patriot with a pinch hit single in the seventh.

The Patriots continue their homestand on Tuesday against Holy Cross with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Spuhler Field.