May 2, 2004
Box Score
Towson, Md. - Junior centerfielder Matt Cooksey (St. John's H.S./Bowie, Md.) had three hits, including a pair of home runs, and five runs batted in as Colonial Athletic Association-leading George Mason University (31-12, 15-3) built a 10-1 lead in the fifth inning and held on for a 13-11 CAA victory over Towson University (15-27, 6-12) at John B. Schuerholz Park on Sunday afternoon.
The victory enabled the Patriots to win two out of three games in the CAA weekend series. George Mason has now won 17 of its last 20 games.
Cooksey helped the Patriots grab a 3-0 lead in the first inning with his first home run of the game. After senior shortstop Jeff Palumbo (St. John's H.S./Bowie, Md.) led off the game with a single, Cooksey homered down the right field line for a 2-0 George Mason lead. Junior first baseman Chris Looze (Amherst Regional H.S./Amherst, Mass.) followed with a double and went to third base on a fly ball. Senior third baseman Nick Shimer (Robinson H.S./Clifton, Va.) followed with a walk. Shimer was then picked off first base as Looze scored while Shimer was in the rundown.
The Tigers cut the deficit to 3-1 in the third inning when junior second baseman Shane Justis (Bel Air H.S./Bel Air, Md.) hit a solo home run to left field, his seventh of the season.
The Patriots, who had a ten-run inning in Saturday's 15-1 win over Towson, answered with seven runs on seven hits in the top of the fifth inning. Palumbo and Cooksey led off with back-to-back doubles to make it a 4-1 lead. Then Looze hit his 13th home run of the season to give George Mason a 6-1 lead. After sophomore righthander Brian Brewer (Hammond H.S./Columbia, Md.) replaced starter Chris Rhoades (Middletown H.S./Middletown, Md.) as the Tigers' pitcher, junior leftfielder Adam Innerst (York Suburban H.S./York, Pa.) singled and Shimer walked. A single by senior Kyle Barrett (Keene H.S./Keene, N.H.) plated Innerst and gave the Patriots a 7-1 lead.
Sophomore catcher Bobby Jacobsen (Westlake H.S./Waldorf, Md.) followed with a double to make it an 8-1 lead before freshman second baseman Jimmy Freund (West Springfield H.S./Springfield, Va.) capped off the inning with a two-run single, making it a 10-1 game.
A two-run homer by junior centerfielder Mark Chiccini (Pottsville Area H.S./St. Clair, Pa.) in the bottom of the fifth cut the deficit to 10-3.
In the sixth inning, the Tigers rallied for two runs but left the bases loaded. A infield single by Chiccini made it a 10-4 game before freshman third baseman Hans Falkenhan (Blair H.S./Silver Spring, Md.) drove in another run with a bunt single.
Trailing 10-5 in the seventh, the Tigers added two more runs to make it a 10-7 game. Senior shortstop Brian McKenna (Watkins Mill H.S./Germantown, Md.) led off the inning with a solo home run. After sophomore rightfielder Adam Heffron (Hammond H.S./Laurel, Md.) reached on an error, sophomore Casper Wells (Schenectady H.S./Schenectady, N.Y.) tripled to center field, making it a 10-7 game. However, junior righthander Josh Morrison (Manteo H.S./Nags Head, N.C.) came out of the bullpen to pitch out of the jam by retiring the next three hitters in a row.
The Patriots added three runs in the eighth inning to take a 13-7 lead. Cooksey's second homer of the game, a two-run shot, made it a 12-7 lead. It was Cooksey's fifth home run of the season. Innerst and Shimer capped off the inning by hitting back-to-back doubles.
Trailing by 13-7 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Tigers made things interesting. Heffron led off by striking out but reached first base on a passed ball by Jacobsen. When Wells was hit by a pitch, the Tigers had two runners on base. An error by Shimer on a ground ball by junior Jeremy Stifler (North Harford H.S./Jarrettsville, Md.) made it a 13-8 game as Heffron scored. Wells scored on an infield grounder to cut the lead to 13-9 with one out. After Chiccini flied out for the second out of the inning, Falkenhan hit the first home run of his college career, a two-run shot to right center field that cut the lead to 13-11.
Justis kept the Tigers' hopes alive when he doubled to right field, bringing senior first baseman Bobby Paduano (St. Anthony's H.S./Huntington, N.Y.) to the plate as the tying run. Paduano lined out to second base to end the game.
While Cooksey led the Patriots with three hits, Looze and Freund each had two hits and two RBI's. Palumbo and Innerst also had two hits as the Patriots had 16 hits off four Tiger pitchers.
Five Tigers had two hits each as Towson had a total of 12 base hits, including four home runs. Chiccini and Falkenhan each had two hits and three runs batted in.
