May 27, 2004

Box Score

Wilmington, N.C. - After going all season without a ninth-inning rally, the George Mason baseball team seems to finally have learned how to come from behind to win. On Wednesday, in the opener of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, the Patriots scored four runs to force extra innings before falling to Delaware. On Thursday, facing elimination, the Patriots scored seven times in the ninth inning to remain alive as the top-seeded Patriots defeated fifth-seeded Old Dominion, 11-5.

The Patriots will face Virginia Commonwealth on Friday at Noon in another elimination game.

The rally began when Robby Jacobsen led off by reaching on an error by centerfielder Keith Hahn. Jimmy Freund sacrificed Jacobsen to second and Bruce Baldwin followed with an infield hit back to the pitcher, Dana Arrowood. Arrowood committed a costly error on the play, when he threw to first and the ball went into right field, allowing Jacobsen to score to tie the game. Baldwin went to second on the play. After Jeff Palumbo walked, Matt Cooksey hit a triple to left-center field to score the go-ahead runs. Cooksey's hit broke the school record for triples in a career, a mark he shared with Mike Colangelo. The new record is 15 triples and it was his seventh on the season, one shy of tying the single-season record of triples, held by Kevin Burke and Ryan Johnston.

With Cooksey on third, Chris Looze was intentionally walked and Nick Shimer singled to bring home Cooksey. Adam Innerst singled to left allowing Looze to score and Shimer to go to third. Innerst went to second on the throw and he and Shimer advanced on a passed ball, making the score 10-5. Kyle Barrett singled to right to plate Innerst, making it 11-5. Arrowood (5-4) took the loss for the Monarchs, who were eliminated and finished the season with a 26-28 record. Jason Mills (4-3) earned the win for the Patriots (38-16).

Mason had scored first in the game, when Jeff Palumbo led off with a double, Matt Cooksey walked and Looze singled to load the bases. Shimer's sacrifice fly scored Palumbo and moved Cooksey to third and Innerst's ground out plated Cooksey. Palumbo's run was the 202nd of his career, giving him the school's career record for runs scored. He also holds the school's career record for hits, at-bats, games played and games started. He is hitting .405 on the season.

Old Dominion tied the game in the fourth when Arrowood, the designated hitter at that time, singled to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice fly, Brandon Carter singled and Allen Strick walked to load the bases. A sacrifice fly foul out brought home Arrowood and Carter scored when Evan Chipman swung at strike three but the ball hit the plate and got away from Jacobsen.

Old Dominion added another pair of runs in the fifth when Justin Gregula singled to lead off the inning, Arrowood followed with a one-out single to put runners on the corners and Derek James doubled to score the pair. The Patriots made it 4-3 in the sixth with an Adam Innerst solo home run and they tied it in the seventh when Baldwin singled home Jacobsen. But Mason starter Eric Gibbons was unable to hold the lead. A leadoff single by Steven Harris was followed by an Arrowood walks. James tried to sacrifice the runners by Gibbons threw out Harris at third. Carter popped out to short before Gibbons was removed and Mills entered the game. The first batter he faced was Strick and he singled to make it 5-4.

Old Dominion stranded 13 base runners in the contest. Arrowood was 3 for 4 on the day but took the loss. Carter was 2 for 5, Harris was 3 for 5 and Gregula was 2 for 5. The Patriots were led by Adam Innerst, who was 2 for 5 with three RBI, and Palumbo, who was 2 for 2 with two runs scored and a stolen base.

Brent Hitz (5-0) will get the start for the Patriots on Friday. The Patriots are now 1-14 when trailing after eight innings.