The Tribe faced off against George Mason University this past weekend, looking to extend its four-game winning streak against the Patriots. After earning a solid 21-11 victory in the first game of the series, the College was defeated 5-11 and 9-10 in the last two games.
p. The Tribe pushed its winning streak to five in the first game of the series against GMU. With 24 hits against 13 for GMU, it was a clear victory for the College. Junior designated hitter Tim Park, senior third baseman Greg Sexton, sophomore first baseman Mike Sheridan, sophomore rightfielder Ben Guez and sophomore leftfielder
p. Robbie Nickle all scored three runs, and junior centerfielder Paul Juliano, senior second baseman Brent McWhorter and sophomore catcher Jeff Wera all finished with two. Freshman Max Axelrod earned his first career win in relief.
p. McWhorter began Tribe scoring in the top of the first with a double down the left field line, scoring after a Sexton single. The College did not score again until Nickle homered in the fourth. By the top of the fifth inning, GMU was holding the game at 9-2, but the Tribe responded by scoring four runs. In the sixth, the Tribe grasped the lead and held it for the rest of the game with a six-run inning. After a scoreless seventh for both teams, the Tribe dominated the eighth inning, scoring eight runs. Both teams scored one more run for a final score of 21-11.
p. In the second contest, the Patriots held exclusive control of the game until the eighth inning. GMU came out strong, scoring nine runs in the first two innings. Starting pitcher Kevin Landry (1-2) recorded the loss. The College got on the board in the eighth as junior designated hitter Aaron Hurwitz started off with a double down the left field line, advancing sophomore shortstop Lanny Stanfield — who had walked earlier — to third. Stanfield scored as Juliano flied out.
p. Sophomore Brett Conner, pinch hitting for Park, singled to advance Hurwitz, and a fly from McWhorter scored Hurwitz. Sophomore James Williamson pinch ran for Conner and scored on a Sexton double. The Tribe finished with three runs, and though they scored two more in the ninth, it wasn’t enough to take the win.
p. The last game of the series was a close contest with several ties and lead changes. Park began Tribe scoring in the first with a home run to left field. GMU tied it up in the bottom of the fourth at 8-8, and the two teams were knotted until the top of the seventh, when junior designated hitter Greg Maliniak walked. Sophomore Jeff Jones, pinch running for Maliniak, scored to give the Tribe a 9-8 lead, but the surrender of two runs in the last two innings was too much for the Tribe to overcome.
p. A GMU home run in the bottom of the eighth tied up the game again at 9-9. Unable to score in the top of the ninth, the Tribe allowed the Patriots to score one in the bottom of the ninth, ending the game in a 9-10 loss.
p. The College hosts the University of Richmond for a 3 p.m. game today and welcomes Northeastern University for a three-game series this weekend at Plumeri Park. The Tribe will have a busy spring break schedule, traveling to Washington, D.C. to take on George Washington University next Tuesday, returning home to host Iona University next Wednesday and playing Towson University in a three-game home series March 16-18.
