FAIRFAX, VA – Monmouth University's Baseball team (3-11) led in the later innings, but George Mason University (9-6) used a five-run eighth to take the weekend opener, 10-7 at Spuhler Field on Friday. Kyle Norman (Ellicott City, MD/Good Counsel/Buffalo) picked up three hits for the Blue and White in the game, while Norman and JD Andreessen (Depew, NY/Lancaster/Campbell) extended their hitting streaks to five games.
Monmouth answered George Mason's first-inning run by tying the game in the fourth on a pair of doubles, as Andreessen led off with one and scored on Johnny Zega's (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) two-bagger. The Patriots plated three in the fourth to go up 4-1, but the Hawks came back with a run in the fifth on a JP Walsh (Spring Brook Township, PA/North Pocono) RBI ground out after a Norman double to cut it in half.
MU tied the game in the sixth, starting when Clay Koniencki (Schwenksville, PA/Malvern Prep) drove in Andreessen after an error. Zega knocked in another run on an infield single to tie the game at four, but Logan Driscoll gave GMU the lead back in the bottom half with a run-scoring base hit. The Hawks replied with a three-run seventh to take a 7-5 lead, sparked by Matt Graber's (Newton, MA/Dexter) leadoff double. MU got the first two runs on sacrifice flies before freshman Robbie Holmes (Bernardsville, NJ/Bernards) drove in a run with another infield single to put the Hawks up a pair.
George Mason plated five eighth-inning runs to take the 10-7 advantage, with the first five batters of the inning reaching base. Cam Reckling's two-run double was the big blow as the Patriots eventually scored five on three hits in the inning. MU was unable to respond in the ninth, dropping the series opener.
NOTES AND QUOTES
"We just were unable to close it out today. Offensively, our lineup did a nice job stringing together a bunch of quality at bats to take the lead." – Head Coach Dean Ehehalt
-The game marked the first ever in baseball competition between Monmouth and George Mason.
-JD Andreessen and Kyle Norman upped their hitting streaks to five games.
-MU hit five doubles in the game, a season high.
-Norman has back-to-back three-hit games.
-The first six innings for MU were thrown by freshmen.
-JP Walsh drove in multiple runs for the fifth time in his career and first time since May 5, 2018 at Saint Peter's.
-Robbie Holmes picked up multiple hits in a game for the first time in his career.
-Johnny Zega has driven in runs in four of the last five games.
-Zach Schild drove in his team leading ninth run of the season.
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth was outhit 14-11.
-Each team committed one error.
-Ryan Lillie took the loss, allowing five runs, two earned in 1.2 innings.
-Rob Hensey started for MU, striking out three and walking nobody while allowing four runs in five innings.
-Michael Yuille got the win for George Mason, throwing a scoreless inning.
-James Beasley picked up the save with a scoreless ninth.
UP NEXT
-The teams are back in action tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. in Fairfax, VA.
