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Feb. 22, 2000
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia baseball teamhosted the George Mason Patriots at the UVa Baseball Field this afternoon.Both team entered the contest looking for their first win of the 2000season. George Mason used a key first inning run to score four runs andheld on to top Virginia by the score of 6-4 to earn their first win of the2000 season.
The Patriots didn’t waste any time putting runs on the scoreboardas GMU jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning.George Mason recorded its four runs while posting three hits in the inningsby Derek Morrison (1-4, run), Brian Forthofer (2-5, RBI, run) and ScottYeager (1-5, 2 RBI).
Trailing 4-0, UVa started to cut into the Patriots lead in thesecond inning and scored its first run of the contest when Michael Floyd(1-3, 3 RBI) hit an RBI double to center field that scored Ryan Kalamaya(1-3, run) to make it a 4-1 contest after two innings of play.
However, George Mason would answer right back in the top of thethird inning when Teddy Puitz (1-2, 2 runs, RBI) hit a solo homerun toleft-center field to push GMU’s lead back to four runs. Puitz’s homerunwas the first homerun of the season for George Mason. Virginia would cutthe lead back down to three runs in the fourth inning when Dan Street (1-4,run) led off the inning with a double. Kalamaya advanced Street to thirdbase on a fielder’s choice, and then Floyd hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Street to make it a 5-2 GMU lead.
Once again, the Patriots would extend their lead back to four runs,this time in the top of the sixth inning when Mark Gibbs (3-5, 2 runs, RBI)hit a solo homerun of his own over the left field fence to make it a 6-2George Mason lead.
But Virginia would make a late rally in the eighth and ninthinnings. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Mark Rueffert (1-3, run),Street and Kalamaya each walked to load the bases for the Cavaliers withonly one out in the inning. Rueffert scored in Virginia’s next at-bat whenFloyd scored him on a fielder’s choice. UVa only managed one run in theinning though and trailed 6-3 after eight innings of play.
After holding GMU scoreless in the top of the ninth inning, theCavaliers looked to make a late run at the Patriots. David Stone (1-3,run) started the inning off with a walk, and then advanced to second basewhen Tim LaVigne (1-4) singled up the middle to center field. Hunter Wyant(1-5) reached first base in UVa’s next at-bat on a fielder’s choice,advancing Stone to third base. Jon Benick (RBI) hit a sacrifice fly deepto right field and scored Stone to make it a 6-4 contest with two outs inthe inning. After Rueffert walked and was replaced by pinch-runner EricChristensen, Street flied out to right field in the Cavaliers next at-batto end the inning, giving the Patriots a 6-4 victory.
With the loss, Virginia’s record fall to 0-4-1 overall, while thewin improves George Mason’s record to 1-3 on the season. The victory cutsUVa’s all-time lead over GMU in the series history to 17-10-0.
The Cavaliers will return to action on Wednesday, February 23rdwhen UVa travels to Lynchburg, Va. to face the Liberty Flames at 2:30 p.m.at Worthington Field. The contest is a rescheduled game that wasoriginally scheduled to be played on Friday, February 18th but waspostponed due to rain. George Mason will head to Elon College, N.C. toface Elon on Saturday, February 26th at 12:00 p.m. in their next contest.
George Mason (1-3-0) 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 12 0Virginia (0-4-1) 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 4 7 1
WP- Hardman (GMU).
LP- Metzger (UVa).
Save- Lipcius (GMU).
2B: UVa 4 – Wyant, Rueffert, Street, Floyd, GMU – 0.
3B: None
HR: GMU 2 – Gibbs, Puitz, UVa – 0.
LOB: GMU – 13, UVa – 11.
DP: UVa – 1, GMU – 0.
SF: UVa -2, Benick, Floyd, GMU – 0.
SB: GMU – 1, Yeager, UVa – 0.
E: UVa – 1, Shrout, GMU – 0.
Attendance: 133.
TIme: 2:54.