Feb. 26, 2005

Box Score

Matt York's pinch-hit two-run single in the bottom of the ninth tied the score at 5-5 and Chris Fournier's single to left center, his fourth hit of the game, drove home the winning run as George Mason rallied for three runs in the final ining to defeat Penn State, 6-5 at the Hughes Brothers Challenge in Wilmington, N.C.

With one out in the ninth, Robby Jacobsen walked and Tyler Youngs and Jimmy Freund each singled to load the bases. York pinch hit for Josh Campbell and his single, raising his season average to .545, drove home Jacobsen and Youngs. Matt Cooksey followed with a single to once again load the bases and Fournier followed with his fourth hit of the day. Fournier is now hitting .500 on the season and slugging .950.

Mason was 37-15 in the regular season in 2004 but not once did the Patriots rally to win when trailing after eight innings.

The teams had entered the ninth inning tied at 3-3 but Penn State managed to scrape two runs off of Mason closer Jason Mills. That came after both teams scored once in the eighth to break what had been a 2-2 tie.

Penn State (1-2) had managed to grab a 2-0 lead after three and a half innings but Mason tied things in the bottom of the fourth when Adam Innerst hit his second home run of the season, a two-run shot that drove home Fournier. The eighth inning run came when Chris Looze singled home Jimmy Freund, who had led off the season with a single. Freund was 2 for 4 on the day and he was the only Patriot aside from Fournier, who was 4 for 4, to have multiple hits in the contest.

Mills (1-0) got the win despite giving up two runs in one inning of work. Brent Hitz started the game for Mason, allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings. J.J. Pannell pitched two innings in relief, allowing no earned runs in the process.

Mason (3-2) is in action again at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday when it takes on Tennessee.