Crigler's Pinch Hitting Keys Late Rally for Mustangs

Brian Crigler came off the bench Tuesday to cap a two-out, game-tying rally in the fifth inning, and drove in a pair of insurance runs in the sixth to help preserve George Mason’s 6-3 win over Clarke County.

Trevor Simpson had three strikeouts and allowed one earned run over four innings in the start, and Tyler Duncan allowed just one hit in three innings of relief to earn the win.

The victory improves Mason’s record to 9-5 on the year and avenges a wild 13-12 loss at Clarke County in which the Mustangs nearly rallied from an eight-run deficit. Tuesday’s game also kicks off a busy week for Mason, as they host Washington-Lee on Wednesday before making the nearly 80-mile trip to Madison County, which has knocked the Mustangs out of the Bull Run district tournament in the semifinals each of the past two years, on Friday.

“I kind of made it understated how big this game was, but it was pretty big,” Amerine said. “Losing to these guys twice in a season would have really hurt our chances down the road in regionals.”

Stephen Lubnow and Max Kaplow started the comeback with consecutive singles, and a Duncan grounder got through the third baseman’s legs to load the bases. Jon Freeman dropped a hit into right field to pull the Mustangs within one, and then Crigler drove in the tying run.

Clarke County stuck with starter Ethan Emmart in the sixth, and Lubnow got the best of him again, driving in Paul Weber from first with a shot that got through the gap in right field. Emmart was finally pulled for Jesse Smoot after loading the bases, but Crigley struck again to finish the attack.

Duncan pitched got the first two batter of the seventh inning before allowing a walk, but the game ended on a pickoff when the catcher caught the baserunner hesitating to get back to the bag after a pitch.

The Mustangs loaded the bases in each of the first two innings and sent nine batters to the plate in the fifth inning, and eight more in the sixth. Head coach Adam Amerine said getting through his lineup multiple times with Emmart on the mound proved to be a key advantage.

“It definitely helps to see a guy two or three times,” he said. “By the third time around you should have a good idea of what he’s going to throw and how to time it.”

Simpson was efficient through the first three innings, retiring eight straight batters at one point, but ran into some trouble in the fourth. Consecutive walks and a single loaded the bases to start the inning before a sacrifice fly brought in Jacob Rion for the first run. Further damage was averted one batter later when Jack Trainor’s throw home after a single to right field beat a baserunner, but a groundball off the bat of Daniel Bailey took a bad hop over Chris Horneman and allowed two more runs to score and stake the Eagles to a 3-0 lead.

“I thought Trevor did a very nice job, really he limited to them one [earned] run,” Amerine said. “Then Tyler came on, he’s only thrown five or six innings this year, and did a good job.”

Crigler, Freeman and Lubnow all finished with two hits, although the Mustangs managed just one single off Emmart over the first four innings.