April 23, 2005

Box Score

Virginia Commonwealth's Alex Gary went 5-for-5 on Friday against George Mason and recorded the game-winning RBI as he sent teammate Barrett Ripley home in the ninth inning for a 9-8 VCU win in the opening game of a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series in Petersburg, Va.

The Rams improve to 21-10 overall and 7-3 in conference play, while the Patriots fall to 22-12 and 7-6.

Freshman reliever Brett Walker (Virginia Beach, Va./Cox) improved to 3-1 on the mound, tossing 3.0 innings and striking out five. Walker gave up four hits and two runs.

The Patriots' entered the ninth one run down and Matt Cooksey scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield to tie the game, 8-8. In the bottom of the ninth, Ripley was hit-by-pitch and stole second before Gary hit the game-winning RBI.

The Rams scored in the first inning to take the first lead of the game, before the Patriots registered two runs in the second and a pair in the fourth. Gary recorded his fifth home run of the season in the second to close the gap, 4-2.

VCU's Joe Meador started the fifth with a stand-up double and Scott Sizemore sent Meador home on an RBI single. Pete Farina knocked a single to right center allowing Sizemore to tie the game. Farina and Trai Harris scored as the Rams took their second lead of the game, 6-4.

Mason rallied in the seventh registering three runs to tie the game, 7-7, including Casey Slattery's two-RBI double. Meador put the Rams up one in the eight with a solo home run.

VCU is scheduled to host Mason in the second game of the three-game series on Saturday. The conference game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start at the Petersburg Sports Complex. Stacen Gant takes the mound for Mason looking for his 24th career win, which would be a new George Mason record.