April 13, 2007

Box Score

James Madison's Kellen Kulbacki was an All-American last year as a sophomore and won a share of one National Player of the Year award. On Friday, in the opener of a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series, he provided plenty of offense and some game-changing defense but Mason was able to withstand his performance at the plate and in the field and the Patriots rallied after falling behind early to take a 8-6 win.

Chris Henderson was 4 for 5 with a pair of runs scored and Chris Fournier was 1 for 2 with three RBI as Mason improved to 17-17, 10-8 on the season. Jordan Flasher picked up his sixth save of the year. Kulbacki was 3 for 4 with two homers, a double, four RBI and a catch that saved four runs from scoring. The two teams will play again on Saturday on Mason Spirit Day. Fans wearing green and gold will get in for $1. Game time on Saturday has been moved up one hour to 1 p.m.

In the top of the first, Davis Stoneburner led off with a single to left and Kulbacki quickly provided some offense as he went deep the other way to left on a 2-2 pitch, his 13th homer of the year. After Steven Caseres grounded out, Lee Bujakowski laced a double to right-center and Brett Garner followed with a homer to straight away center for a 4-0 Dukes lead.

Mason got one run back in the first as Henderson led off with a double up the middle, went to third on an infield single by Spencer Wiggins and scored on a throwing error by Stoneburner, the shortstop. But with Wiggins on first and the heart of the order coming up, the Patriots couldn't add any runs, as Wiggins was thrown out trying to advance to second on a pitch in the dirt and after Fournier walked, Scott Krieger flew out to center and Chris Romanow lined out to left to end the threat.

The Dukes made it a four-run game in the second when Joe Lake reached on an error and scored on a two-out single by Kulbacki. In the third, Mason pulled to within two as Brent Weiss reached on an infield single, Henderson singled to left, the runners advanced on a Wiggins sacrifice bunt and both scored on a Fournier double to right-center. The rally came to a halt, though, as Krieger struckout and Fournier was thrown out trying to steal on the pitch.

In the fourth, Romanow led off with a single and after Justin Bour walked with one out, Ryan Uphouse, who had been in a 3 for 38 slump, singled to left to score Romanow. It was his first RBI since April 20. Bour went to third on a fielder's choice by Weiss that eliminated Uphouse from the base paths and a single by Henderson to the right side made it 5-5. Wiggins was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Fournier who also was hit by a pitch, taking one on the right wrist. Krieger then missed a grand slam by a matter of inches as Kulbacki went to the top of the fence in right to bring in his deep fly ball.

Kulbacki came up in the top of the frame with one out and he promptly planted one over the centerfield fence, giving him a hit in his sixth straight at-bats and tying the James Madison career record for extra-base hits. In the sixth, Mason had a chance to retake the lead as Henderson hit a two-out double for his fourth hit of the day and Wiggins singled to left to put runners on the corners. But Fournier failed to reach base for the first time all day, fouling out to the second baseman.

James Madison had a chance to break the game open in the seventh when Stoneburner singled with one out. That ended Pannell's day and Mike Modica came on in relief. After Stoneburner stole second on a failed pickoff attempt, Kulbacki was intentionally walked and Caseres walked to load the bases. Dan Gerjets came on in relief and he got Bujakowski to foul out on his first pitch and Garner to flyout to center on his second to end the inning.

Mason made the Dukes pay in the bottom of the seventh as Romanow reached on a four-pitch walk and Jason Bour doubled down the leftfield line. Romanow slid under the throw home and Mason had a 7-6 lead. Justin Bour followed with a single up the middle and Mason had its biggest lead of the game.

In the top of the eighth, pinch-hitter Matt Browning singled to lead off the frame and that prompted an appearance from Flasher, the Patriot's closer. He retired Alex Foltz on a sacrifice bunt and struck out Mike Fabiaschi and Joe Lake swinging to end the inning. Mason put a pair of runners on in the bottom of the inning with one out but couldn't get an insurance run home. Flasher got the first two outs in the ninth, inducing Stoneburner and Kulbacki to ground out. The next two runners reached base before Garner grounded out to short to end the game.

The Patriots will return to action on Saturday when they continue their Colonial Athletic Association series with James Madison. Game time has been moved up one hour to a 1 p.m. start.