The Massachusetts baseball team won one of three games against a tough George Mason team in its weekend series.
Headed into the series, the Patriots (26-14, 12-6 Atlantic 10) have led the conference in almost every category. George Mason leads with a .332 batting average and pitching with a team ERA of 4.61.
The second game was a pitcher’s duel in which UMass (11-21-1, 5-13 A-10) came out with the victory on Friday. Callen Powers pitched a complete game, going nine innings and throwing 122 pitches. The right-handed pitcher allowed just four hits, three walks and one run, striking out four batters.
Powers has been one of the Minutemen’s most steady pitchers, having the lowest team ERA. Through nine games pitched, the sophomore has a 3.53 ERA with opposing teams having a .224 batting average against him.
“[Powers has] been really rock solid,” head coach Matt Reynolds said. “[His starts] are not all like that one but you can’t expect that. I think the best thing that he’s done for us is that even when he’s not his sharpest, he gives us a chance to win all the time and he battles though even if he gives up a couple early.”
UMass struck first in the fifth inning on a Braden Sullivan double down the left field line that brought in Carter Hanson. Despite the Minutemen totaling nine hits throughout the contest compared to the Patriot’s four hits, George Mason found a run to tie up the game in the eighth inning.
Owen Hull got on base for the Patriots with one out then stole second base to put himself in scoring position. On the Minutemen’s only error of the game, he advanced to third base due to an error by Sullivan.
With Hull on third base, Jake Butler singled to centerfield to bring his teammate home and put pressure on UMass.
In the ninth inning, though, Sam Hill hit a double then advanced to third base on an Anthony Tirado fly out. On an error by the third baseman, with Matt Travisano up to bat, Hill crossed the plate to cement a 2-1 victory for the Minutemen.
UMass couldn’t follow up with another win, falling 12-1 through eight innings to George Mason in the final game on Sunday.
Sam Belliveau started on the mound for the Minutemen and after a scoreless first inning started to falter. The starting pitcher gave up eight hits, two walks and three earned runs through five inning of work.
Errors and losing fly balls in the sun hurt UMass on a windy and sunny day, with it totaling three errors.
“[On Sunday] we got beaten in all areas of the game,” Reynolds said. “[George Mason] is a really good team so it’s no surprise that they are where they are overall and in the conference. They pitched it really well against us the last two days.”
The first game featured 16 runs for George Mason as UMass fell 16-7 on Friday afternoon. After the Patriots came out with two runs to start the game, the Minutemen totaled six runs in the third inning.
Holding a 6-2 lead, going into the next inning, UMass starting pitcher Robbie O’Connor couldn’t find his rhythm in the fourth inning. The Patriots scored five runs in the inning to regain the lead and held on to get the win.
In O’Connor’s five innings, he gave up six hits, seven earned runs and four walks. Jack Levine came in relief for 3.2 innings but struggled with his command, walking eight Patriots and giving up six hits and four earned runs. Dylan Terwilliger closed out the game, facing just two batters and letting up a hit.
The Minutemen had 11 hits in the loss with Hill and Hanson leading with two RBIs each. Tirado also had a strong day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs and a double, the only extra base hit for the Minutemen on Friday.
“We just want to play solid baseball,” Reynolds said on what to improve in the future. “Win or lose, we want to play. Want to throw strikes, want to make the plays and have quality at bats at the plate.”
UMass will move on to play the Connecticut Huskies on Tuesday, April 22. The game is set for 6:35 p.m. at Dunkin Donuts Park.
“It’s a good challenge for us at a great ballpark at night against a very good team in UConn and hopefully we’re up for the challenge and play solid baseball,” Reynolds said.
Kayla Gregoire can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Kaygregoire.
