FAIRFAX, Va. – The Georgetown University baseball team brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning, but fell on the road 7-4 to George Mason on Tuesday afternoon at Spuhler Field. With the loss, the Hoyas fall to 6-15 on the season, while the Patriots improve to 10-8.
Jack Cushing (Flower Mound, Texas / Marcus) started on the mound and pitched 6.0 strong innings. He gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits and one walk while striking out eight.
Kyle Ruedisili (Jupiter, Fla. / The Benjamin School / Washington and Lee University),
Ryan M. Davis (Danville, Calif. / San Ramon Valley) and
Eddie McCabe (Norwalk, Conn. / Norwalk) were all on base twice with a hit and a walk.
Kai Nelson (New York, N.Y. / Fieldston) and
Ryan P. Davis (Oak Hill, Va. / Oakton) both hit solo home runs.
George Mason wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, taking a 2-0 lead just two batters into the bottom of the first inning on a two-run home run. The Patriots extended the lead to 3-0 with a run in the bottom of the third.
The Hoyas got a run back in the top of the fourth inning. A walk to McCabe and singles by
Ryan Weisenberg (Parkland, Fla. / San Ramon Valley [Calif.]) and
Alex Gamache (Lake Forest, Ill. / Lake Forest Academy) loaded the bases with one out. McCabe came home on a sacrifice fly from
Will Salomon (Greenwich, Conn. / Brunswick).
In the fifth, Ruedisili led off with a triple into the left-center field gap. He scored just a few pitches later on a sacrifice fly by
Tony Barreca (Long Grove, Iowa / North Scott) to cut the deficit to one, 3-2.
George Mason scored two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings, off a pair of relievers, to extend its lead to 7-2.
Nelson and
Ryan P. Davis hit back-to-back pinch-hit home runs to lead off the top of the ninth. The Hoyas brought the tying run to the plate with two outs but could not get any closer, falling 7-4.
Georgetown will return to Shirley Povich Field for a three-game series next weekend against Hartford. Friday's series opener is set for 3 p.m., while Saturday's game will start at 2 p.m. and Sunday's contest will begin at 1 p.m.
