George Mason - Game 2

The 28th-ranked Coastal Carolina University baseball team (15-3) received great pitching and timely hitting to sweep a doubleheader from George Mason University (10-5) by scores of 6-0 and 9-4 March 15 at Charles Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field. Coastal has now won eight straight games against the Patriots dating back to the 2000 season.

In the first game, senior Jake Hurry (East Moline, Ill./Alleman) pitched a complete game shutout, striking out nine Patriots to improve to 3-1 on the year. Hurry gave up only three hits and allowed only two runners past second base in the win.

Coastal used the long ball to open the scoring as senior Chris Todd (Seattle, Wash./Bellevue C.C.) hit a home run to right field to make it 1-0 Chanticleers. Coastal then scored two in the fifth after a leadoff home run from sophomore Chris Raber (Coplay, Pa./Whitehall). Junior Kevin Entsminger (Canton, Mich./College of the Siskiyous) drove in classmate Aaron Verrett (Jupiter, Fla./Polk C.C.) with a single with CCU’s third run.

The Chants scored two in the seventh. Raber walked and moved to second on a Verett single. Both runners moved up a base on a passed ball and both scored on a single from junior Mike Fuentes (Miami, Fla./North Florida C.C.). The scoring concluded in the eighth as Verett drove in sophomore Dom Duggan (Cranberry Twp., Pa./John Carroll) with an unearned run.

Josh Morrison took the loss for George Mason, giving up five runs and eight hits in 6.1 innings.

Verrett and Todd had two hits apiece for Coastal, while Fuentes drove in two.

In the nightcap, George Mason struck first in the first as Matt York doubled, Matt Cooksey singled and York scored on a Verrett error. Coastal scored two in the fifth to take the lead. Junior Mike Costanzo (Springfield, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) walked to open the inning and junior Adam Pernasilici (Tecumseh, Ontario/St. Anne’s) singled to left, earning the first hit off George Mason starter Jared Petrovich. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and the bases were loaded when Verrett was hit by a pitch. Costanzo scored on a double play groundout by sophomore Adam Vrable (Bay City, Mich./Grand Rapids C.C.) and Pernasilici scored on a single through the left side by sophomore Josh Eachues (Newberry, S.C./Newberry).

George Mason retook the lead in the sixth, scoring three runs with two outs. Chris Looze hit his third home run of the year to right center. After a walk to Chris Fournier, senior Byron Binda (Stafford, Va./North Stafford) relieved junior Kevin Salmon (Brentwood, N.Y./Briarcliffe C.C.) and gave up a double to Robby Jacobsen. Casey Slattery walked and Adam Innerst drove in Jacobsen on a single to right.

Coastal would blow the game open in the bottom of the sixth, scoring seven runs, six of them unearned. Duggan walked to open the inning and moved to second as Todd reached on a fielding error. Senior Jon Foisy (Ridgecrest, Calif./Cerro Coso C.C.) sacrificed both runners over and Costanzo brought them home with a double in the left field gap. With two outs, Verrett singled to score Costanzo to make it 5-4 Coastal. After an RBI single from Vrable, Eachues reached on an error and advanced to second on an error from Tyler Youngs. Entsminger then extended his hitting streak to nine games on a triple to right. He ended the scoring by going home on a wild pitch.

Binda earned the win, going one inning with two strikeouts and one earned run. Salmon made his first career start, pitching 5.2 innings with two strikeouts, five hits and two earned runs. The loss went to Phil Stone, who lasted only two-thirds of an inning, giving up six unearned runs. Petrovich had the Chants handcuffed early and pitched five innings with five strikeouts and two hits.

Verrett went 4-for-7 in the doubleheader with two RBI.

Coastal will start the Big South Conference schedule Friday, March 18, against High Point University. First pitch is at 2:30 p.m.