The Patriots had a busy week on the road as they won two of seven games to leave their overall record at 8-8. George Mason defeated Liberty Monday, 15-4, before dropping two games at North Carolina State Tuesday and Wednesday, 9-8 and 11-3, and falling at Virginia Tech Thursday, 19-7. The Patriots then opened their Colonial Athletic Association schedule at Virginia Commonwealth over the weekend, splitting a doubleheader Saturday (losing 6-2 and winning 3-0) and dropping a 10-2 decision on Sunday.
In Lynchburg Monday, the Patriots broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh inning as juniors Mike Colangelo (Hylton HS), Lee Kansteiner (Robinson HS) and Chris Martine each hit a two-run home run to give George Mason a 9-3 lead. Sophomore Scott Morrison added his first career homer in the eighth. Junior Shawn Camp (Robinson HS) picked up the victory with six solid innings, while freshman Derek Ashcraft earned his first collegiate save.
The Patriots rode the strong right arm of junior Tom McGinn (Lake Braddock HS) and timely hitting by Colangelo and junior Andy Devitt (each with two runs batted in) to an 8-4 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning at North Carolina State Tuesday. But the Wolfpack rallied for four runs in the eighth and Tom Sergio hit a two-out solo home run in the ninth off freshman Michael Steller (0-1) to hand the Patriots defeat. McGinn allowed nine hits, three walks and six strikeouts in seven innings.
The Wolfpack roughed up freshman starter Kevin Kawecki (0-1) on Wednesday and Virginia Tech took advantage of seven George Mason errors Thursday as the Patriots' losing streak reached three games. Sophomore Mike Huller (1-2) took the loss against the Hokies.
Camp (2-2) and Virginia Commonwealth's Chad Berryman hooked up in a pitcher's duel in Saturday's first game of the doubleheader at The Diamond in Richmond before Ram Jake Anthony hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to break the game open. Kansteiner and Morrison drove in the Patriot runs.
Senior Scott Lavender (3-0) pitched his first career shutout in the second game, allowing just five hits, walking one and fanning five. Colangelo, senior Rick Visconti and Devitt each drove in runs in a three-run fourth inning that led the Patriots to victory.
McGinn (2-2) had another strong outing Sunday until things went awry in the bottom of the seventh. With the Patriots leading 2-1, consecutive George Mason errors led to a nine-run inning for the Rams as they ran away to victory. Martine and junior Trey Mosgovoy drove in George Mason's runs.
Colangelo, who tied George Mason's career record for triples at 11 with his fourth of the season at N.C. State Tuesday, leads the Patriots with a .411 average and has five doubles, two homers and a team-high 18 RBI. Morrison is batting .404 with 14 RBI, Devitt checks in at .361 with a team-best six doubles, sophomore Trevor Haas (South Lakes HS) is batting .329 and paces the Patriots with eight stolen bases, senior J.K. Ronay (Robinson HS) is hitting .327 and Mosgovoy is batting .318 with a team-high four home runs and 14 RBI.
On the mound, Lavender leads the Patriots with a 2.84 earned run average, while Huller has a 3.63 ERA, Camp is at 4.10 and McGinn is at 4.45. Camp has moved into fourth place on the George Mason career strikeout list with 128, while McGinn is sixth with 123.
The Patriots play five games at home this week, beginning with a two-game set with Connecticut at Raymond H. "Hap" Spuhler Field Monday and Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. each day. Richmond then comes to Fairfax for a CAA weekend series, with a doubleheader beginning Saturday at noon and a single game set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
Baseball Contact: Ben Trittipoe (993-3263)