George Mason Claims Doubleheader Against Tribe

05/15/08 6:30PM

FAIRFAX, Va. - The William and Mary baseball team lost both games of a doubleheader at George Mason on Thursday. The Patriots claimed the opening game, 8-6, before earning a 7-2 triumph in the second contest (seven innings). Originally scheduled to play just one game on Thursday, the teams played a doubleheader due to expected bad weather this weekend. The teams will conclude the series with a contest on Friday at 3 p.m.

Senior Tim Park broke the program’s single-season record for doubles (25), while junior Ben Guez finished the afternoon with a pair of home runs. Guez has now hit five home runs in the last eight games.

Having already clinched a spot in next week’s Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, the Tribe (35-18, 16-12) is now fourth in the conference standings.

Guez led the Tribe in the opening game, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Junior Tyler Stampone went 3-for-4 with a run scored, while senior Greg Maliniak posted a 2-for-5 effort. Senior Tim Park scored twice, and junior Rob Nickle hit a solo home run.

Junior James Williamson went 2-for-2 with a RBI in the second game, while classmate Jeff Jones went 2-for-3. Guez finished the contest 1-for-3 with his second home run of the day, while Park hit his record-breaking double in the fourth inning.

The Tribe got on the scoreboard first in the initial game with a pair of runs off starting pitcher Mike Modica in the top of the first inning. Senior Paul Juliano led off the game with a single to left, and Park reached on a fielder’s choice. Senior Greg Maliniak followed with a single to put runners on the corners. After Maliniak was caught stealing second, Guez hit a two-run blast over the right center field fence off a 2-2 pitch.

George Mason (27-23, 17-10) answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Ryan Soares put the first run across when he led off the frame with a solo home run to left. Chris Henderson then reached on an infield single, and Scott Krieger hit a two-run home run over the center field fence.

W&M cut the lead to 3-2 with a run in the second. With one out, Stampone doubled to center and Williamson brought him in with a RBI single.

The Patriots responded with a score in the bottom half of the frame when Ryan Uphouse hit a leadoff home run to left.

GMU increased the lead to 6-3 with two runs in the fourth inning. Soares registered a one-out single through the left side and later advanced to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Krieger hit his second two-run blast of the afternoon.

The College got two runs back in the fifth. Park got things started with a leadoff single to right. After moving to second on a groundout by Maliniak, Park scored when Guez singled up the middle. Junior Mike Sheridan followed with a single to put runners on the corners, and Guez later scored on a successful double steal.

With Sean Grieve on in relief, George Mason extended the lead to 8-5 with a pair of runs in the seventh inning. Josh Steinberg began the frame with a single to center and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mark Hill. Steinberg later moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out single by Uphouse. After stealing second, Uphouse scored on a Spencer Wiggins RBI single to right center.

The Green and Gold narrowed the margin to two, 8-6, in the eighth when Nickle hit a one-out solo home run to right off relief pitcher Ryan Brecko. However, that would be the last run scored by either team as Mason held on for the opening-game win.

The Patriots took an early 4-0 lead in the second game with four runs in the first inning off W&M starter Kevin Landry. Henderson got things started with a one-out infield single, and Krieger drew a walk to put two runners aboard. Justin Bour and Steinberg followed with consecutive RBI singles. Bour later scored the third run on a wild pitch, while Brent Weiss plated the final score of the inning with a double to left center.

GMU added a run in the third frame to go ahead, 5-0. Bour drew a one-out walk, and Steinberg followed with a single up the middle to put runners on the corners. Hill then drove in a run with a single through the left side.

W&M put its first run across in the fifth inning. Senior Aaron Hurwitz doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Williamson.

The Patriots responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Krieger drew a leadoff walk, and Bour plated him with a double down the right field line. Steinberg followed with a single to put runners on the corners, and Hill brought in Bour when he reached on a fielder’s choice.

The Tribe scored the game’s final run in the sixth when Guez hit a one-out solo home run over the left center field fence, cutting the margin to 7-2.

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score