FAIRFAX, Va. — George Mason used an 11-run fifth inning to avenge a 4-3 deficit and defeat the Cornell baseball team, 15-4, to claim the series sweep at Spuhler Field on Sunday afternoon.
Carsen Pracht and Jordan Smith each had three-hit days for the Patriots (11-8), who increased its win streak to seven games with the victory. Derek Wood drove in three runs, while South Trimble, Reece Woody, and Pracht each had two RBI.
Nick Martins was the winning pitcher for George Mason as he pitched two innings of relief of the Patriots' starting pitcher, Konner Eaton, who recorded all nine of his outs on strikeouts. Eaton allowed three runs on three hits and walked one.
Martins yielded three hits and one run while also fanning three Big Red batters.
Cornell's top three batters on the day went a combined 6-of-12, recording all but one of the Big Red's seven hits on the day. Sophomore
John Quinlan went 3-for-5 while scoring three runs. Fellow sophomore
Max Jensen went 2-for-4 with two RBI in the setback for the Big Red (0-12).
For the sixth time this season, Cornell scored in the first inning as Quinlan — who opened the game with a double to center field — scored thanks to a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt by senior outfielder
Wils Guy.
George Mason took the lead in the second inning behind a three-run inning, thanks to a two-run double by Wood and an RBI groundout by Trimble.
The Big Red responded with two runs in the next half-inning to tie the game at 3-all. Quinlan singled home junior
Ryan Ross before Quinlan scored on an RBI double by Jensen.
A pair of hit batsmen and a single allowed by Cornell starting pitcher
Noah Keller loaded the bases in the fourth, but
Beck Urofsky thwarted the Patriots' attempt to take the lead as he induced a fly out to get out of the inning after inheriting a 2-0 count to Brett Stallings.
Keller allowed three runs on four hits over 3.2 innings of work. The freshman walked one and struck out three while not factoring in the decision.
Cornell took the lead in the top-half of the fifth with an RBI single by Jensen, which plated Quinlan for the third time on the day.
In response to Cornell taking the lead, the Patriots saw 16 batters come up to the plate in their portion of the fifth, as the first seven batters all reached base safely and later scored.
Urofsky ended up being the losing pitcher of record for the Big Red after he allowed nine runs in two-thirds of an inning of work.
George Mason tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI pinch-hit single by Craig Miles Jr.
Game Notes
• Cornell and George Mason met for the 10th time on Sunday, as the Patriots improved to 7-3 all-time over the Big Red.
• The Big Red swiped two bases on Sunday, marking the fifth time in its last six games that it has registered multiple stolen bases.
• Quinlan recorded his first collegiate three-hit game on Sunday, as it was his second career multi-hit game.
• Jensen's multi-RBI game was his second such performance of the season, becoming the first Cornell player to have at least two games with multiple RBI.
Looking Ahead
Cornell will open Ivy League play next weekend when it travels to New Haven, Conn., to take on Yale at George H.W. Bush '48 Field.
The three-game series begins next Saturday, March 25 with an 11:30 a.m. first pitch. All games of the series will be aired live on ESPN+.
