Broadside Sports

By Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Mason trounces the Terrapins
The George Mason University baseball team walked over the Maryland Terrapins in College Park, Md. in their 20-6 dominating win on Tuesday.

Mason improved to 27-12 overall while the Terrapins fell to 15-29. The four-hour marathon has been the longest game for Mason thus far, but the team did not leave without winning its fourth consecutive game and 10 of its last 11.

Senior shortstop Ryan Soares went deep twice, knocking in a total of six RBIs in the game. Soares started the scoring with a two-run blast in the first inning and smashed another home run in the Patriots’ seven-run inning.

The Patriots totaled 19 hits and eight walks to produce 20 runs. Mason reached the 20-run plateau for the fourth time this season.

Leading 7-1 after five innings, Mason started to pull away in the next two frames with four runs in the sixth inning and seven runs in the seventh inning.

In the sixth, redshirt junior first baseman Dan Palumbo, who went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, doubled in two runs.

Sophomore right fielder Dan Schafferman followed with a two-run single.

In the seventh, the Patriots got the first two runners on base, and with one out, Soares came through with a home run to right-center field.

Schafferman walked to force in a run, and junior designated hitter Shane Davis scored on a wild pitch.

After freshman second baseman Christopher Cook tallied an RBI with a walk, Palumbo scored Mason’s seventh run with another wild pitch from Terrapins sophomore pitcher Kyle Blackwell.

While the Terrapins answered with two runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning, the Patriots responded with a run in the eighth inning and another in the ninth inning to extend their lead back to 14.

Senior starting pitcher Kris Mengle, who improved to 3-1 on the season, took the hill for Mason, lasting two hitless innings, but walking three batters, which led to a run for Maryland.

Senior southpaw Darren McLean went two innings, giving up three hits without allowing a run. Redshirt sophomore Branden Bartlett was perfect in the final two innings, striking out two batters.

No. 7 Dukes dominate Mason
The women’s lacrosse team fell behind early in the game and was unable to recover as the No. 7 James Madison Dukes manhandled the Patriots in Harrisonburg on Thursday in their 17-5 win.

Mason wrapped up its 2010 schedule with a 3-14 overall record and a 0-7 record in conference play while the Dukes improved to 14-2 overall and concluded a perfect conference regular season at 7-0. The loss marks Mason’s 10th consecutive loss.

The Dukes were able to avenge last year’s 8-7 loss to Mason by scoring 17 goals on Thursday. Sophomore attacker Ariel Lane had a quick hat trick to start the game, scoring the first three goals within the first four minutes of the game.

The second goal marked Lane’s 30th goal of the season. Lane would end up scoring a total of five goals in the game to increase her season total to 33.

Junior midfielder Chelsea Gamble put Mason on the board a minute later with her 13th goal of the season. After a JMU goal, Mason cut the Dukes’ lead to one at 4-3 as senior attacker Cristina Maurizi scored back-to-back goals.

However, the Dukes went on a seven-goal rampage to end the half with an 11-3 lead. The team’s scoring spree did not end as the Dukes scored four straight goals to start the second half to take a commanding 15-3 lead.

Maurizi scored her hat trick goal at the 12:21 mark, but the insurmountable lead was too much for Mason. Sophomore midfielder Emily Ellisen scored an unassisted goal, recording Mason’s fifth goal of the game.

Aside from Maurizi’s three goals and Gamble’s two assists, no other Patriot recorded double-digit points.

The Dukes, on the other hand, received substantial contributions from a number of players. Lane totaled five goals and an assist, while sophomore attacker and midfielder Monica Zabel, who led all players with eight points, had two goals and six assists.

Sophomore midfielder Caitlin McHugh and junior attacker Mary Kate Lomady each recorded a hat trick in the game.