Cavaliers Rally to Defeat George Mason, 9-7
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Feb. 24, 2006
CHARLESTON, S.C. – – Michael Schwimer tossed 3 2/3 innings in relief and David Adams finished 2-for-4 with three RBI including his second home run of the season as Virginia rallied from a 5-0 deficit to defeat George Mason, 9-7, Friday afternoon in the 2006 Charleston Challenge at Patriots Point Field. Casey Lambert picked up his second save of the season for the Cavaliers who improved to 7-1 on the season. George Mason dropped to 3-5 on the season.
“Our guys did a good job of battling after falling behind 5-0,” UVa head baseball coach Brian O’Connor said. “We had one rough inning, but kept our composure. Mike (Ballard) settled down and kept us in the game while our hitters did a nice job of moving baserunners and scoring runs.”
Ballard had a rough first inning as he gave up five runs, one earned, in facing all nine GMU batters. He ended up tossing 4 1/3 innings and recording five strikeouts while only allowing two earned runs on seven hits. Schwimer relieved Ballard in the fifth and held the Patriots to one earned run on three hits. Lambert pitched the final inning and struck out two.
Virginia had six players finish with two hits as the Cavaliers out-hit George Mason, 14-10. Brandon Marsh was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Mike Mitchell, Brandon Guyer, Tom Hagan and Greg Miclat each had two hits.
The Cavaliers scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth for the 9-7 lead. Miclat doubled down the left field line to lead off the sixth and scored on Mitchell’s RBI single up the middle. Marsh then doubled to left field to score Mitchell putting UVa ahead, 9-7.
Lambert threw nine pitches in the top of the ninth to retire all three George Mason batters to seal the win for the Cavaliers.
Virginia took a 7-6 advantage in the bottom of the fifth when the Cavs loaded the bases with no outs. Jeremy Farrell hit into a double play to score Guyer for the one-run lead. The Patriots answered with a run in the top of the sixth when Brett Pomykala tripled in Tyler Youngs who led off the inning with a single tying the game once more, 7-7.
UVa took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth when Mitchell tripled and scored on Brandon Marsh’s ground to go ahead, 6-5. George Mason tied the game in the top of the fifth when Jason Bour scored on a ground out by Jon Weislow.
Virginia tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the third. The Cavaliers had three straight base hits from Marsh, Sean Doolittle and Hagan to load the bases. Adams hit into a fielder’s choice to score Marsh and Hagan’s bunt single scored Doolittle for the 5-5 tie.
The Cavaliers pulled within 5-3 in the bottom of the second. After Guyer led off the inning with a double, Adams hit his second home run of the season to make it 5-2. Farrell followed with a single and scored on Miclat’s RBI single to left field as UVa trailed only by two runs.
George Mason jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first inning on four unearned runs. Spencer Wiggins and Robby Jacobsen led off the game with back-to-back singles. Scott Kreiger reached on a fielder’s choice after an error at second base to load the bases. Ballard struck out Jason Bour on a low ball in the dirt that UVa catcher Beau Seabury blocked, but the ball got away from Seabury for minute. Spencer Wiggins slid into home to put GMU ahead, 1-0. Weislow’s RBI single scored Robby Jacobsen as the Patriots led, 2-0. Youngs then doubled in two more runs to make it, 4-0. Matt York then drove in Youngs for the final run of the first inning.
Bour and Youngs each had two hits for the Patriots. Eric Gibbons (1-2) took the loss for George Mason as he allowed eight earned runs in 5 1/3 innings on 14 hits. Phil Stone and Joran Flasher combined to toss 2 2/3 innings.
Due to the threat of inclement weather on Saturday, the Cavaliers’ game with Gardner-Webb has now been moved to 10 a.m. at Patriots Point Field.