Baseball Falls in Middle Game to UMass, 2-1

Saturday, March 25

ARLINGTON, VA

1:00 PM

George Washington University

10-12, 1-1

Massachusetts

5-9, 1-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Massachusetts	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	9	2
George Washington	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	0

3/25/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 25, 2017

Box Score

ARLINGTON, Va. - A day after limiting Massachusetts to just two runs in a 10-2 victory, the George Washington baseball team repeated the feat on Saturday but was unable to take advantage in a 2-1 loss in game two at Tucker Field.

GW's pitching staff worked around jams all afternoon, stranding a total of 12 runners on base, but Massachusetts was up to the challenge as a pair of pitchers yielded just one run while leaving 16 Colonials on the base paths

Senior Shane Sweeney took the loss for the Colonials after allowing two runs on five hits across three innings of work. One of his runs came in to score after his exit but the trio of Jaret Edwards, Kevin Hodgson and Eddie Muhl closed the game with six innings of shutout relief.

Massachusetts grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning with a RBI single. Bobby Campbell's fielder's choice RBI in the bottom of the inning tied the game at 1-1. However, GW left two critical runners on base in the inning which would prove to be costly.

Brooks Knapek was the winning pitcher for UMass after scattering six hits over seven innings of work. He gave up the lone run in the bottom of the third and walked five with a hit batter, but made up for the miscues with six strikeouts.

The Colonials got at least one man on base in every inning after tying the game in the third, including multiple runners in the sixth, seventh and ninth. Crafty pitching and strong defense by UMass maintained the lead each time.

GW got both the potential tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the seventh inning. With two on and one out, freshman Nate Fassnacht walloped an 0-1 pitch into the power alley in left center and all the way to the warning track but UMass' centerfielder made a leaping catch against the fence to prevent both runners from moving up.

In the eighth inning, GW got a leadoff walk over to third base but third baseman Alex Norton, playing in, snagged a hot-shot line drive off the bat of Andrew Selby to help extinguish the threat.

GW used an error and infield single in the bottom of the ninth to threaten again but UMass retired the side to even the series.

The rubber match is scheduled for noon on Sunday at Tucker Field.