April 6, 2003

Box Score

FAIRFAX, VA ... George Mason senior left-hander John Sterling pitched his second career shutout, allowing four hits, as George Mason completed its weekend sweep with a 6-0 victory over Drexel in a Colonial Athletic Association baseball game Sunday afternoon at Raymond H. "Hap" Spuhler Field.

The win was the fifth straight and the 12th in the last 16 games for George Mason as it improved to 16-10 overall and to 4-1 in the CAA. Drexel fell to 5-19, 0-5 in the CAA. The Patriots defeated the Dragons 14-0 and 10-3 in the first two games of the series on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Sterling (4-2) threw 98 pitches and faced just two batters over the minimum as he pitched his second complete game of the season. He walked one and struck out six as the Patriots posted their second shutout in three days after senior Chris Murray's two-hit gem on Friday.

Sterling retired the first 10 batters he faced before Drexel freshman Steve Johnson (2-4) singled with one out in the fourth inning, but he was erased on a double play. Another double play in the fifth erased a walk and Sterling faced the minimum 18 batters through six innings. Johnson's one-out single and a single by junior Josh Brandt put runners at the corners for the Dragons in the seventh, but Mason's third double play of the day ended the inning.

The Patriots, who have scored 64 runs and posted 70 hits in their last five games, meanwhile had early problems of their own against Drexel junior Jarame Beaupre (2-3). Beaupre (seven hits, three walks and two strikeouts in six solid innings) allowed just one hit and an unearned run through three innings before Mason's offense got untracked in the fourth. Sophomore Chris Looze led off with a single, went to third on a double by freshman Jay Ciraco (2-3) and both runners scored on a double by freshman Nick Prosise (2-4) for a 4-0 Patriot lead. Mason added its final two runs in the eighth as Ciraco scored on a wild pitch and freshman Robby Jacobsen drove in the final run with a single.

George Mason travels to George Washington Tuesday at 3 p.m.