Stellar Pitching Lifts Baseball over George Mason

Friday, April 5

Fairfax, VA

3 p.m.

George Washington University

19-10, 4-0

George Mason

13-15, 1-3

George Washington

George Mason

Sam Gates Running the Bases vs. St. Bonaventure

4/5/2024 6:22:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. – Behind stellar pitching from GW's staff, the George Washington baseball team secured a 3-2 series-opening win over George Mason on Friday afternoon. The Revolutionaries only allowed four hits on the day, a lights-out performance to keep GW perfect in Atlantic 10 action.

GW starter Michael Foltz was dealing from the jump, setting down the first 12 batters he faced and carrying a perfect game into the fifth inning. During that span, GW got offensive production in the third inning from two of its most consistent hitters in the lineup. Sam Gates got the scoring started with a solo home run to right field, his seventh of the season. Gates, who now sits in a tie atop the A-10 leaderboard in home runs, started his day 3-for-3 and would eventually finish 3-for-5 with two singles to go along with his long ball. Later in the inning, GW added to its lead when Steve DiTomaso scored off a fielder's choice to the second baseman off the bat of Tim Nicholson.

Entering the fifth, George Mason saw two of its first three batters reach base successfully, putting an end to Foltz's string of dominance. The first batter reached on a fielding error at second base, while the second singled to left field to break up the no-no. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Foltz gave way to Jarrett Korson out of GW's bullpen. Korson made quick work of the Patriots and got out of the bases loaded jam, getting the batter to pop up his first pitch and keep the shutout alive.

Neither team found any more offense until the seventh inning when Nicholson extended GW's lead to 3-0 off a towering solo home run to left field. The homer was Nicholson's first of the season and ultimately proved to be all the offense the Buff & Blue would need to secure the win. After getting out of the fifth inning jam, Korson continued to dominate, pitching 2.1 total innings of hitless baseball. He struck two batters out and didn't allow a single baserunner throughout his entire appearance.

After his departure following the seventh inning, Korson turned the ball over to Brandon Siegenthaler to bring GW home. Siegenthaler started dominant, working a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth before running into trouble in the ninth. Siegenthaler allowed the Patriots to tally two runs off three total hits. However, with the game on the line he showed up when it mattered most, striking out the George Mason pinch hitter with runners on the corners to secure the victory. Siegenthaler earned his team-best fifth save of the season. Korson earned the win in relief, moving him to 2-1 on the season.

Offensively, GW was paced by Gates' three hits, while Nicholson finished 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. DiTomaso added one hit and one run, while Ellis Schwartz notched GW's lone other extra-base hit of the day aside from the two home runs, a double in the second inning. The win moved GW to 19-10 on the season and 4-0 in A-10 action.

The Revolutionaries continue their weekend series with George Mason on Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. contest. Live coverage will be carried on ESPN+.