ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Locked into a pitching battle that saw the squads combined for just one extra-base hit, the Navy baseball team (22-24) fell to George Mason (22-21) by a 4-1 score on Wednesday evening at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
A Patriots staff that entered the day with the lowest team ERA in the Atlantic 10 Conference continued its strong pitching by limiting the Midshipmen to just four hits, two from the bat of Brock Murtha, while the Navy hurlers did their best to match it by holding George Mason's lineup to two runs over the first seven innings.
 
George Mason opened the scoring in the top of the second when Derek Wood lifted a sacrifice fly out to the left-center gap with the bases loaded, bringing home Mark Trotta and putting the Patriots up 1-0, but Navy starter Evan Hamill stranded three runners to end the frame and escape further danger.
 
James Quinn-Irons got the Patriots another run in the fifth when he led off with a single and took two bases on a two-out single from Trotta, as Trotta then worked himself into a rundown on the next at-bat that allowed Quinn-Irons to slip home safely.
 
Navy cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, as an Alex Smith single and Kyle Rausch's plunking put two on, while back-to-back fielder's choices moved Smith up a base each time, with the second fielder's choice bringing him in for the Mids' lone run.
 
George Mason answered right back in the eighth right when rain showers hit the area, as Jordan Smith and Trotta reached base to start the frame, with a pair of wild pitches scoring Smith before Trotta came across on a bunt single from Brett Stallings, but Navy's Landon Kruer induced a sacrifice bunt and double-play groundout to end the Patriots' roll.
 
Navy put runners on in both the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, but Michael Salina and Kyle Menaker shut the door by each posting scoreless innings, with Menaker earning his first save of the season.
 
Making his second-straight midweek start, Logan Rumberg gave up just one hit in his three innings of work to earn the win, while Hamill's high school teammate, Robin Yount, followed with one hit allowed and two strikeouts in two frames. Tyler Herkey surrendered the lone Navy run in his one-plus inning, while Nolan Lamere, Salina and Menaker all pitched shutout frames to follow.
 
Hamill suffered the loss despite limiting George Mason to one unearned run on one hit and striking out a career-high three batters in his three innings, and Jackson Beattie followed up by giving up just one run in four innings of relief. Aidan Chamberlin allowed two runs on one hit without recording an out, while Kruer relieved him by allowing one hit and two walks across two frames.
 
Paul Kostacopoulos Postgame Comments
"I thought our pitching did a really good job, collectively, from a standpoint of having four guys go. They all did a pretty good job. We've really improved over the course of the season, especially with Evan, seeing him go out there after some of his injuries early on in the year. They did a nice job and I think that's the positive of today."
 
"I think Evan's getting better command and he's, quite frankly, finally getting to pitch after missing last year with arm surgery and knee surgery. He's finally getting out there and had a little rough spot early on this season, but I really appreciate what he's doing because he just keeps going and I think he's going to be a good guy for us down the road. With Jackson being able to go four innings and do what he did as well - he's really getting a better feel for his off-speed stuff and he's locating much better - he continues to grow as a pitcher and that's a good sign for him."
 
"We just got to keep working on things. We want to be playing good baseball this weekend and into next weekend, and that's really the thought process right now. There's not really much more to it, just play good baseball."
 
Game Notes
• George Mason cut Navy's lead in the all-time series to 22-15.
• Murtha extended his on-base streak to 15 games with the pair of singles picked up his eighth multi-hit contest of the season.
• Alex Smith has tallied a hit in 10 of his last 11 games and has scored in four of Navy's last five contests.
• Hamill's start is his second straight with three innings pitched and two-or-more strikeouts, and marks his fourth appearance this season of three innings-or-more.
• Beattie has gone four innings in two of his last three outings and has pitched two-or-more innings in each of his last five appearances.
 
Up Next
Navy hosts Elon for two non-conference games to close out the regular season, with Saturday's contest set for 6 p.m. and Sunday's series finale slated for 1 p.m. Both games will air on ESPN+ with Scott Wykoff on the call.