WILMINGTON, North
Carolina - UNCW slammed four home runs in the second game as UNCW clinched
a series with an 11-5 win over George Mason on Friday at Brooks Field. The
Seahawks also picked up a 9-2 win in the completion of the series opener that
was suspended Thursday night.
The Seahawks improved to 35-19 overall with the sweep and
24-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Patriots, meanwhile, dropped to
15-14 in the league and 32-22 on the season.
Connecting on round trippers in the second game for UNCW were
Matt Campbell, Tyler Molinaro, Hunter Ridge and Corey Dick.
After George Mason tied the game with four runs in the
fifth, keyed by a three-run homer by Zack Helgeson, his 12th of the season,
UNCW retook the lead with a two-out RBI single by Drew Farber. The Seahawks
would go on to score three in the sixth, two in the seventh and one in the
eight to complete the scoring.
Jack Lane (3-0) earned the win in relief after replacing
starter Mat Batts.
John Williams (4-3) was saddled with the loss, allowing four
runs on five hits in two-plus innings of work.
In the completion of the suspended game, UNCW exploded for
seven runs, two in the seventh and five in the eighth, to break a 2-all
deadlock for a 9-2 win. The Seahawks stole six bases in the final two innings
while Andrew Cain belted his eighth homer of the season, a two-run shot to
left, in the eighth.
Kelly Secrest (4-2) threw three innings of hitless, shutout
baseball for the win. He retired the final nine batters he faced to end the
contest.
In the opener, Campbell and Molinaro had three hits apiece
and each scored twice. Molinaro and Ridge were two of four Seahawks with two
hits. Both tripled in addition to their homers.
Pope and Dick each added two hits as UNCW outhit GMU, a
combined 24-16 in the two games.
Reliever Jake Kalish (5-2) was tagged for seven runs, five
earned, on seven hits in 1 1/3 innings for the loss in the opener.
The teams will conclude the series and regular seasons on
Saturday with a 2 p.m. start.