Sports | 4/7/08

Media Credit: Patrick Smith [Click to enlarge]

After winning the first two games of the conference series against George Mason University, the Tigers (14-16, 5-7) narrowly missed out on sweeping the Patriots (13-17, 8-6), losing Sunday's game, 5-4. George Mason ended Towson's five-game winning streak in CAA play and gave the Tigers only their second loss at John B. Schuerholz Park on Towson's campus.

The game was Towson's eighth one-run loss this season.

"Those are the situations where you look back and see what you could have done differently. When you lose by a lot of runs, you don't worry about that kind of thing," head coach Mike Gottlieb said.

GMU kicked off the game by scoring in the top of the first inning, with a single by Scott Krieger that allowed Chris Henderson to come home. Towson quickly countered this run by tying the game at one in the next half inning with help from a double by Matt Collins.

A two-run home run by Patriots infielder Ryan Soares in the top of the second inning allowed GMU to take the lead, 4-1.

However, the Tigers cut their deficit to two runs after Austin Harclerode hit the first pitch he saw out of the park for a solo home run.

Base hits by Terry Gallo and Nick Natoli put men on first and second, and the bases were loaded after Brian Conley walked. After Collins was hit by a pitch, Gallo trotted home to bring the score to 4-3.

Krieger blasted a solo home run over the fence to increase GMU's lead to two runs in the third inning.

Towson made an attempt to rally in the seventh inning, though they were only able to bring in one run - Gary Helmick doubled out to right field, and back-to-back singles by Collins and Conley allowed Helmick to score. However, Steve Yarsinsky would hit into a double play and a fly out to right field by Jason Stifler would end the inning and leave Conley stranded at third.

"Saturday, we had tremendous pitching. Friday, we got some great late-game clutch hitting, and I guess you could say we didn't quite get that today," Gottlieb said. "Austin Hurd did a great job keeping us in the ballgame. He shut them down and gave us a chance to get back in. We got close, but not close enough."

Hurd came in as relief during the fourth inning, and would pitch for the remainder of the game. Hurd allowed only four hits over the next five innings, striking out three batters and not allowing any walks.

"It was a close game. It was well-fought. It would have been nice to come out and win, but we played well and we still won the series, so it's good to be on the board in the CAA," Hurd said.

Towson continues their nine-game stay at home on Tuesday, when the Tigers host Bucknell University.

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