March 4, 2006

Box Score

Williamsburg, Va. - One day after taking a five-run win over The College of William & Mary, the Patriots suffered a five-run loss at the hands of the Tribe as William & Mary took advantage of seven walks in the first five innings to beat the Patriots, 9-4 in Colonial Athletic Association action. J.J. Pannell took the loss for Mason while Pat Kantakevich earned the win for the Tribe.

William & Mary (5-6, 1-1) took a 4-0 lead in the second inning behind a two hits, two walks, one error and a sacrifice bunt. Greg Sexton led off the inning with a double and after Mike Sheridan walked, Sean Grieve singled to make it 1-0. A one-out walk to Paul Juliano loaded the bases and a squeeze bunt by Joe Mante made it 2-0. Mason rightfielder Robby Jacobsen had a chance to end the inning but his fielding error on Brent McWhorter's fly ball made it 4-0.

The Patriots (5-7, 1-1) rallied to tie the score in the fourth behind four hits. Jason Bour led off with a double and Ryan Uphouse was hit by a pitch to put unners on first and second. With one out, they each advanced on a wild pitch and Bour scored on a Matt York single to right. Brent Weiss brought home Uphouse with a single to center, and once again runners were on first and second. Another wild pitch allowed the runners to advance and Jacobsen's two-out single scored two runs, atoning for his earlier error.

The lead wouldn't last long, though. In the bottom of the fifth, the Tribe scored twice to chase Pannell. McWhorter hit a one-out single, Ben Guez, Jeff Lunardi and Sexton all walked to make it 5-4. Jared Petrovich relieved Pannell and Robbie Nickle, the first batter Petrovich has faced this season, had a pinch hit single to make it 6-4.

Insurance runs came for William & Mary in the seventh. Lunardi drew a one-out walk and Phil Stone came on in relief of Petrovich. Sexton singled before pinch-hitter Greg Maliniak struck out, putting Mason on the verge of getting out of the inning with no damage. But Grieve singled under the glove of shortstop Weiss to make it 7-4 and Lanny Stanfield single to drive home two runners, for the five-run lead.

Kantakevich improved to 2-1 on the year, allowing seven hits and three walks over eight innings. He struck out seven Mason batters. Pannell was saddled with six runs, four earned, on three hits and seven walks in four and one-third innings. He struck out six batters. Petrovich went two innings, allowing one run on one hit and one walk and Stone went two-thirds of an inning, surrendering two runs on three hits, the first runs he's allowed the year. Brian Winings pitched a scoreless ninth for Mason while Sean Sosonko pitched the ninth for William & Mary. Robby Jacobsen was 3 for 5 for Mason, the only Patriots with multiple hits in the game.

The two teams return to action on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the rubber-game of the three-game series.