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'96 CAA Baseball Championship Page
BASEBALL
WRAP-UP
May 6, 1996
Go to
'96 CAA Baseball Championship Page
BASEBALL
WRAP-UP
May 6, 1996
The Patriots ended their regular season on a disappointing note last week, dropping their last four games to finish the week with a 1-4 record. George Mason defeated Maryland at home Wednesday, 9-6, then lost at George Washington Thursday, 12-9, before being swept at Virginia Commonwealth over the weekend, losing 2-1 and 4-3 on Saturday and 19-9 on Sunday to leave its record at 25-27 overall, 12-9 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Virginia Commonwealth's sweep moved the Rams into second place in the CAA with an 11-7 mark and handed Old Dominion (13-7) the regular season title. Richmond (10-7) is currently third, with George Mason fourth, East Carolina (10-8) fifth, James Madison (9-11) sixth, UNC Wilmington (9-11) seventh and William & Mary (2-16) eighth. East Carolina travels to Richmond this weekend for the final conference series before the CAA Tournament begins May 14 in Kinston, N.C.
Sophomore Shawn Camp (Robinson HS) pitched six strong innings and George Mason held off a late Maryland rally to defeat the Terrapins in its final game this season at Raymond H. "Hap" Spuhler Field. The victory was the Patriots' 13th in their last 16 games. Camp allowed seven hits, walked none and struck out two as he led the Patriots to a 5-2 lead through six innings. George Mason scored four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, with sophomore Trey Mosgovoy capping the inning with a pinch-hit three-run home run, his first of the season. Senior Jay Burkhart blasted his 13th round-tripper earlier in the eighth inning, and junior J.K. Ronay (Robinson HS), sophomore Lee Kansteiner (Robinson HS) and freshman Trevor Haas (South Lakes HS) each had three hits to lead the Patriots.
The Patriots carried a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the sixth against George Washington Thursday before the Colonials scored two runs in the sixth and five in the seventh to pull away to victory. Senior reliever Danny Schourek (Marshall HS) took the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season, while Haas had three hits and Mosgovoy, junior Rick Visconti and freshman Dan Wydner each added two to lead the offense.
Sophomore Tom McGinn (Lake Braddock HS) pitched possibly the best game of his young George Mason career in the first game of the doubleheader Saturday against VCU at The Diamond in Richmond, but three Patriot errors led to two unearned runs and the loss. McGinn (4-5) tossed his third straight complete game, allowing three hits, walking two and tying his career high with nine strikeouts.
In the second game, the Patriots twice tied the game after the Rams took leads, but VCU's two runs in the fifth to take a 4-2 advantage proved too much to overcome. Visconti was 3-3 with two runs batted in to lead the offense, while junior John Fulcher (Stonewall Jackson HS) fell to 6-3 overall as he allowed nine hits, walked none and fanned five in pitching his second complete game.
The law of averages finally caught up to Camp (6-1) Sunday as he was rocked in his seventh start of the season, allowing seven hits and nine runs in 2 innings as the Rams batted around in each of the second, third and fourth innings. Freshman Joe Kerrigan led the Patriots at the plate with three hits and three RBI, while Burkhart and Visconti each had two hits.
Sophomore Mike Colangelo (Hylton HS) continues to lead the team with a .358 batting average, leads the CAA with six triples and adds 10 doubles, five home runs and 37 RBI. Visconti is batting .344 with a team-high 12 doubles, 4 homers and 44 RBI, while Burkhart leads the squad with 13 homers and 53 RBI. Haas is batting .327 with 11 doubles and 21 RBI, junior Adam Virant checks in at .317 with 26 RBI, and Kansteiner is hitting .311 with six homers and 34 RBI.