May 14, 2004
Box Score
Eric Gibbons pitched the best game of his collegiate career and Jeff Palumbo, Matt Cooksey and Adam Innerst provided all the offense he would need as the George Mason baseball team fought for a 2-0 win against Delaware in Colonial Athletic Association action.
Gibbons (6-4) scattered four hits, walked just one and tied a career-high with seven strikeouts as he pitched the first shutout of his Mason career. The sophomore lefthander allowed a leadoff double and then walked the second batter but settled down, allowing just six more men to reach base. Two batters reached on errors, one was hit by a pitch and three reached on base hits as Gibbons scattered the runners, never allowing more than one per inning. He struck out Bryan Hagerich with a runner on first in the ninth to end the game.
The offense for the Patriots (32-13, 16-3) came in the third and seventh. In the third, Palumbo and Cooksey led off with back-to-back walks, Matt Barrett sacrificed the runners into scoring position and Adam Innerst's infield single allowed Palumbo to score, making it 1-0. In the seventh, Palumbo drew a two-out walk and Matt Cooksey's triple brought him home with the game's final run. Palumbo is now one run shy of tying the school record for runs in a season and Cooksey is one triple shy of tying the school record for career triples. Cooksey also walked once in the game and is two shy of tying that career record. Nick Shimer had his 18-game hitting streak snapped in the contest as he was 0 for 2 with two walks. It is the fifth-longest hitting streak in school history.
The Patriots only had five hits but they squandered a number of chances as they drew six walks but stranded nine base runners. In the second, runners were on first and second when Bruce Baldwin hit an easy grounder to third. In the third, the bases were loaded when Kyle Barrett grounded into a 1-2-3 double play. Runners were on the corners in the eighth inning when Jimmy Freund lined out to end the threat.
Delaware (28-19, 10-8), meanwhile, had one runner on third, that being leadoff hitter Ryan Graham in the first inning, and only two other players made it as far as second, Steve Van Note in the sixth when he singled and advanced on a balk and Graham in the eighth after he hit a one-out double. Graham had half of the Blue Hens' hits as he was 2 for 4. Van Note and Brian Valichka had the other hits for Delaware, which had won seven straight against CAA foes, and had won 15 of 19 heading into the contest.
Scott Rambo (6-5) took the loss for Delaware. He went seven and one-third innings, walking six, striking out five and allowing just four hits. Both runs were earned. The righthander was outpitched by Gibbons, who lowered his ERA from 4.25 to 3.81 in the win.
The two teams meet again on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at Spuhler Field. Stacen Gant (9-0) is scheduled to take on Mike MIhalik (5-3) on Saturday. The Patriots found out on Friday that they will have an extra chance to shine this year as a previously rained out game at University of Maryland-Baltimore County was rescheduled for Wednesday, May 19 at 7 p.m.
